shoulder press or no?

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need2eat

New Member
Im sitting here filling out my next cycle and something occurs to me.

Shoulders get hit pretty good on all lifts, dips, deadlifts, pullups, incline chest press, rows...

Is there really any point in doing shoulder press's or could that energy be better focused on other lifts?



Ive done them all these years, and Im starting to think they might not be necassary.  Dont misunderstand, it one of my stronger movements, I actually enjoy them, even if I couldnt do the movement last cycle and looks like this cycle Im gonna do rear lateral raises, because of an elbow pain that wouldnt allow it.
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, Im not looking for an excuse not to do them.

Just curious what others think.
 
My medial delts definitely get more work from presses than from bench or dips which throw more load on my anterior delts. Assuming your elbow issue is under control, I'd say do 'em but focus on a different variety of press for a change rather than a rest.

One thing that I found that really worked my rear delts hard this cycle were negative rows. Machine set on 150lbs, both arms used for each concentric then single arm used for each eccentric, alternately and allowing a really good stretch at the end of each rep.

Big, strong shoulders are just too good to let slide.
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What other press movement are you thinking?


Seems for me, the press movement only hits the anterior delt and inner triceps, to really get the medial delt, I have to do lateral raises.

I went to exrx.net to get a comparison between shoulder press and lateral raise and seems, for lateral delt (medial), lateral raises are the ticket.  They seem to share synergist muscles, only one not hit with lateral raises are upper pec and triceps, even share the same stabilizer muscles.  Triceps definitely get worked elsewhere as does the anterior delt.

What do you think now, do lateral raises and ditch rear lateral raises...or stop asking and just do the damn shoulder press?  
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I dunno, maybe Arnold press or similar with dbs? I've been doing some parallel grip presses on a machine (eesh!) whilst my left forarm heals up and then tried some parallel (ie. palms facing, elbows back) to palms front db presses (sort of a half-rotation Arnie press). I've been doing one arm ones too. Yesterday I managed a single rep with 89lbs (40.5kgs) with my right arm. Couldn't do it with my left so there's an imbalance there (to be expected partly cos of my left arm pain). Anyway, I was pretty pleased with that. I then used the same load for one-arm push-presses and got 6 with it before I started to lose control of the situtation.
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Definitely, worth a try for a change.

I also thought that power shrugs/upright rows would be good to do (limiting the height of the pull to the lower chest). You should be able to get a decent amount of load on the bar for a good progression doing those.

Are you still able to make progress with your loads for presses each cycle?
 
Im finding that all my upper body movements are progressing slowly, I seem to have hit that point.


I do seated DB shoulder press, its a sumbitch to get the weight up, if I had a spotter I wouldnt give up so much energy to just getting ready for the movement.  
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  Im using 80's for my 5RM.  Best I could ever do on a shoulder press was with a bar, standing, I knocked out 8 solid reps and two with a little push via 225.  but that was a long, long, time ago.


I think Im gonna stick with the A/B and just do A with shoulder press, and B with lateral raises....and just stop when the elbow gives out, and I mean literally, causes so much pain, the movement is not possible.
 
<div>
(need2eat @ May 06 2007,16:55)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Im using 80's for my 5RM.  Best I could ever do on a shoulder press was with a bar, standing, I knocked out 8 solid reps and two with a little push via 225.  but that was a long, long, time ago.</div>
Very
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225 for reps is my goal for presses. What happened between then and now? Injury or just decaying body?
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Best answer I can give you without getting too personal, is life has gotten in the way over the years.



It was pure accident that I even realized I could do that. I didnt do bar shoulder presses at that time. I was watching some program on TV, where football players were competing on different events. The smallest guy was the quarter back, his best was 225 for 10 reps. I thought, huh, so I went and tried it, sure enough, did it, I even have a witness.
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You bet I felt good. haha
 
<div>
(need2eat @ May 06 2007,11:55)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Im finding that all my upper body movements are progressing slowly, I seem to have hit that point.


I do seated DB shoulder press, its a sumbitch to get the weight up, if I had a spotter I wouldnt give up so much energy to just getting ready for the movement.  
biggrin.gif
  Im using 80's for my 5RM.  Best I could ever do on a shoulder press was with a bar, standing, I knocked out 8 solid reps and two with a little push via 225.  but that was a long, long, time ago.


I think Im gonna stick with the A/B and just do A with shoulder press, and B with lateral raises....and just stop when the elbow gives out, and I mean literally, causes so much pain, the movement is not possible.</div>
Check out these Power Hooks if you are having trouble getting your DB's into position and don't have a spotter. These things are the cats ass. You can load them up to your hearts content. I use them for all kinds of presses.

http://www.powerhooks.com/

These may be the best purchase I have made for my home gym other than my power rack.

Cheers
 
Thats actually a good idea.

However, I have nothing for the hook to hook too.

Im gonna have to do something one of these days, cant keep doing 80-90lb hammer curls with poor form...I will definitely keep those in mind.

Thanks Captain Crunch
 
I'll mail you my power hooks cheap, I never use them. They cost me $60, but PM if you want them and I will send them for much cheaper...(mint condition).
 
Yep, that goes double for me. I need to clean up the gym a little, and I have a pair of powerhooks that I used until I found out that the method of balancing the dumbbells upright on your quads and then pushing them up with the legs is superior to messing around with power hooks.

Mine are NOT in mint condition. Both of them are slightly f'd up from dropping them and treating them like shlt. However, I will send them to anyone for just the cost of shipping (whatever that is).
 
A strict OH press of 225 is damn impressive. Unless you're 250+ pounds, if that didn't get you big shoulders, then I doubt doing laterals will. You're better off doing power snatches than laterals.
 
Not the most PC answer but in my experience upright rows are a great option for a cycle to give OH pressing a break without losing strength in the movement when you come back to it(assuming some form of bench remains in the WO)- also nothing grows my side delts better (except BTN press- another PC &quot;questionable&quot; exersize), I really love what the row does for my side delts and how it also hits the traps in all the &quot;showy&quot; places
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               You either can do them or they bother your shoulders in which case they are not advisable. If you do them a slightly wider than shoulder width grip will focus the movement on the delts most effectively - I find that an explosive yet strict rep works best for me, like BB row it can take a short while to get the mind into the muscle on this movement, so that it really targets the right places - you want shoulders ,not all traps ,grip width is really the key. A side benefit is that it seems less taxing on the CNS than OH pressing especially when some form of benching is already being performed in the WO.
 
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