Some very good posts all around fellas.
Here is an observation I've made that has helped shape my training philosophy on delts:
I used to wonder why these olympic lifters were able to train 5 days a week on heavy shoulder pressing movements. It amazed me how they were able to endure the wear and tear of this training style for weeks, months, and years on end, but how when I attempted to include the heavy delt work with my bodybuilding program, my delts felt awful and were always aching and on the verge of injury. That's when it occurred to me: the overall volume myself and most bodybuilders do is far greater than any Oly lift workout. I believe you can do 1 method or the other, but mixing both and you'll have a short tenure in this sport without some chronic shoulder pathologies being developed. Literally EVERY person I know who approaches their shoulder workout the same as any other heavy day in their bodybuilding split, has some form of shoulder injury. I've personally winessed 3 labrum tears in my gym from guys doing seated military press. Only time I'm ever an asshole at my gym is if someone asks me for a spot on heavy military press and I kindly decline because rarely do I feel someone can handle the weight properly and I don't want to have to upright row 225 from someone to save their life.
Ive concluded that if you're having sufficient heavy chest and back days on a high volume bodybuilding split, you have ALREADY in retrospect had a good delt workout for the week. So my "delt day" is just a bonus, an opportunity to get a good pump of the delts with some high rep sets and keep the shoulders flexible and mobile. It's a totally different workout and mindset than any other bodyparts; the goal is to not demolish muscle fibers, it is to get a nasty quick pump, and in turn increase protein synthesis in that area. This is my key to keeping my shoulders healthy so I can still be doing this when I'm 60 years old one day.
