Military Press

mazmonsters

New Member
Behind your head or in front?
They hit different areas of your shoulders, right? I have personally found it easier to lift heavier behind my head, and having to go a little lighter in front.
What do you think, and is there a beneficial difference?
 
I just started military press, but with dumbells which I really like.

So, to answer your question... neither - right above shoulders
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I do infront. I have heard its not good behind the head or it can hurt yourself. How, i'm not sure. But i used to play baseball, and i know after throwing and lifting behind my head i had discomfort so i always did it infront. Now i'm "retired" haha and i still do infront of head.

I go down so my arms are at about 90 degrees, which is about the bar between your nose and eyebrows-ish. I usually use a smith machine too.
 
I use a Smith machine. To go in front I set the bench with only a slight incline back from vertical. When I go straight up, I only come down to the top of my head. The range of motion is reduced but it helps me avoid injury while using heavy poundages. My left shoulder has always given me troubles since a wrestiling injury in my teens (dislocation with broken colar bone) so I go out of my way to protect my shoulders.
 
Maz...

I think behind your head tends to create a bad angle for the shoulder girdle.

Let's just see, from Shoulder Impingement Syndrome By Dr. Clay Hyght:

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Exercise Selection

There are certain exercises that have a tendency to cause or aggravate shoulder impingement. For starters, unless you're dying to know what this injury feels like, never do behind-the-neck presses.

Next, any shoulder press where you elbows are straight out to the sides can aggravate the condition. A safer press can be done by keeping your elbows more to the front - as when doing Arnold Presses.

Most shoulder press machines give you two sets of handles to choose from. One set that runs parallel to your body and is wider, and another set that runs perpendicular to your body and is narrower.

For the sake of shoulder safety, use the narrow, perpendicular handles and keep your elbows in front of your body as opposed to beside it as with the wider handles.

Lastly, you may have to put your ego to rest and not perform standard bench presses. Although not benching is a sin in many weight-lifting circles, benches seem to be the culprit in many shoulder injuries.

Instead, try inclined BB presses, which seem to be less injurious to the shoulder complex. Besides, your upper pecs could probably use the work.
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I do them.

I dont recommend them behind your head, b/c of angle.

I recommend them standing with barbell and dumbell.

Heavy standing presses hit your core as well.
 
I currently have a right shoulder issue. If I try any behind the neck movements I get pain but pressing to the front is fine. Even reaching back to hold the bar during squats is uncomfortable.

So I currently do standing presses to the front. These are great during negs as you can switch to push presses to help raise the weight and then lower under control.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> think behind your head tends to create a bad angle for the shoulder girdle.</div>

Yes all pressing movements behind your neck are Fuc*ing up your shoulders when you see it long time use !

So do it in front !
 
Great guys.
Thanks for all your imput. I was doing one set of each, but now I will do both sets in front, and probably switch to the &quot;Arnold Press&quot;. That just seems more logical with a barbell.
Thanks again.
 
''but now I will do both sets in front, and probably switch to the &quot;Arnold Press&quot;. That just seems more logical with a barbell.''

Cant the arnold press only be done with dumbells?
 
Seated, with about a 10 degree decline, in front of a Smith machine bringing the bar down to the top of my pecs or with dumbells. Never, ever, ever, using a bar behind my neck.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That just seems more logical with a barbell.</div>

Correction - Arnold Presses only with a barbel mate!
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<div>
(Fausto @ Jun. 11 2006,11:29)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Correction - Arnold Presses only with a barbel mate!
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I found a pic of someone doing that, but I can't figure out how you'd rotate your grip during the movement. Seems like it would be pretty slippery.

141jb51.jpg

Arnold Presses with a Barbel

I'll stick with dumbbells, I think.

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Chris.
 
<div>
(ChrisHouston @ Jun. 11 2006,09:08)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(Fausto @ Jun. 11 2006,11:29)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Correction - Arnold Presses only with a barbel mate!
biggrin.gif
</div>
I found a pic of someone doing that, but I can't figure out how you'd rotate your grip during the movement. Seems like it would be pretty slippery.

141jb51.jpg

Arnold Presses with a Barbel

I'll stick with dumbbells, I think.

wink.gif


Chris.</div>
LOL......thats funny.

i think dumbell press directly over head is as far as id go,a smiths machine can put stress on your shoulders by forcing the angle at which the bar comes down.
 
I do them in the front standing up. I do them together with front squats. I will do a warm up for front squats with 225 and then hit a working set of OH presses with a pathetic 145x5; it feels real light after that front squat.
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