Does Military Press Hit Side Delts?

K

Key Of David

Guest
The last time I did a true military press (lifting the weight in front of the face, off the chest) I was a teenager.  

Then I read an article in a bodybuilding magazine (of course) that said the best press to do was behind the neck, which really targets the front delts, and then do side and bend over laterals for the side and rear delts.

This is a great routine but its recently hit me that a lot of time and energy gets sucked up doing shoulders, especially since I had started HST.

I do remember doing only a press, whether it was true or behind the neck, and only making progress on the front delts, which is why I swear by side laterals too.

My question is does the military press really hit the side delts?

If so I'm gonna try switching to the true military press and taking out the side laterals to see what happens, but I don't want to take the chance if I'm not gonna get results as my shoulders really need the work.....they are the weakest part of my body.

Thanks guys!
 
It is probably best to alternate them between cycles if you want to more directly hit the side delts. However, in general a military press is a much better compound movement and allows you to use much greater weights and that is a good thing.
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BTW, don't do behind the neck presses unless you want to risk a cervical injury. Very bad ergonomically! Plus, people tend to stretch their neck forward when doing them which can lead to very serious injury. Those body building rags are dangerous to one's health.
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When I was young and training I did the MP, standing at attention, feet together, bar to chest then fully overhead.

Now that I'm old and training again - I just do it seated lowering the bar no lower than my face, somewhere between my nose and chin.

I've seen others that don't take it lower than their eyes or even the top of their head...with very good results too.

Back to your question, the overhead press is a very good movement for overall delt development.  It's my only direct deltoid lift and they are about my best part - well actually, my only good part.  Just don't take the ROM so extreme that you injure your shoulder joints if you are going heavy.
 
i have shoulder problems and my rule of thumb is to drop it just below my eyes so i cant see my eyes in the mirror.

had fairly decent results too, but most importantly no pain and its safe. i also prefer to do it sitting down, and every 6 months i go from barbel to dumbells
 
imo DB Shoulder Press hits the side delts better, because you hold the weights on either side of your ears and push straight up. I do arnie presses because I think they hit the side delts better, even though exrx says they are mainly for the front delts. Depends on your technique, I push my elbows straight out to the side to its like doing a lat raise, focusing more on the side delts:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightE....ss.html

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBArnoldPress.html
 
Thanks for the help and links.

So I take it then that the traditional military press targets the front deltoids primarily and then the side deltoids as a helper muscle.

On one hand I'm tempted to drop side laterals but then on the other I'm thinking, if I'm doing to much with the side shoulders wouldn't they develop more than the rest of my shoulders? That hasn't been the case yet.

I think I'm just gonna keep the laterals in the routine until I see a reason to drop em....which I will.

Thanks for the advice on the behind-neck press and only lowering the bar to somewhere in front of the face. I always did feel the behind-neck was awkward and also lowering all the way down to my chest in the military press.

Its funny because if that is the case for any other exercise I will drop it like a hotcake. I was taught from the beginning that if something feels unnatural for you, IT IS. Yet I've hung on to the behind neck press forever. Funny.

I tried an exercise once that said to lower to the top of your head, but don't make it your main exercise (also from a muscle mag). I got more shoulder burn from that exercise than any of the other presses, and it wasn't a lot of reps or ROM. That said to me my shoulders were getting some benefit.

Thanks again for the link on the Arney Press.....I completely forgot about that one.....haven't thought about that one in years. Maybe I should alternate that one into every other cycle? It looks like it would target the sides very well.

Do many of you do dumbell presses primarily for your shoulders? I know there is some debate was to what builds more size in other exercises, dumbells or barbells.
 
Shoulder press, use dumbells.


If you have shoulder problems, do the dumbell shoulder press with a neautral grip.



You really wanna build your shoulders, start doing pullups/chinups, if your not already.

Good luck
 
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(Key Of David @ Sep. 14 2006,20:44)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I think I'm just gonna keep the laterals in the routine until I see a reason to drop em....which I will.

Do many of you do dumbell presses primarily for your shoulders? I know there is some debate was to what builds more size in other exercises, dumbells or barbells.</div>
DBs have many advantages over BBs, they create more instability (working the little muscles more) and they work the left and right arms independently. BBs tend to use the dominant arm more, which is usally stronger and larger and doesn't need as much workout! But you can lift heavier out-right weight with BBs and are easier to spot. Also less risk of injury cause its more stable.

Also isos generally don't do as well building muscle as compounds, so drop the lat raises, and stick to presses.
 
Ok....so.....you are saying to go with DB presses, and drop the side laterals then?

One reason I'm thinking dumbell presses too, is because of what you just mentioned and what I totally forgot about (because I haven't worked out in quite a while), the fact that my left front delt is slightly larger than my right.

This is cool because I'm really keen on dropping the side laterals IF possible.
 
Drop the side laterals and only do them again when you can press 12 x bodyweight
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Seriously, though, for a decent weight progression you need to be able to increment the load throughout the cycle which is much easier to do with barbell presses. I would go with a barbell over a pair of dbs because I think you can handle more load safely and you can switch to push presses during post-5s allowing you to continue pushing up the load a bit more while focusing on the eccentric motion.
 
I am in the camp of dumbell presses.
I have tried laterals, barbell presses, etc...nothng grows my front AND side delts like dumbells presses.

Alot of guys do barbell presses and you have to keep the bar in front of your head, emphasizing more front delts, they do dumbell presses the same way as habit. My side delts get strained in dumbell presses by keeping my elbows back as much as I can...like Peak_power said, the dumbells start on either side of your head with elbows back, this really hits my side delts along with front. Can't do that with a barbell, and behind the neck presses are unnatural and dangerous in my opinion.

Also dumbells allow a very free, natural arc when pressing.
The downside with dumbells is increments can be larger.
I know many will disagree with this, but I prefer to do dumbell presses seated as I can use more weight this way and really blast the deltoids. I tried them standing, but I find it harder to focus on delts, since so many muscles have to strain to stabilize the torso.
Of course this is one reason many guys prefer to do them standing! It brings in more muscle groups. Heavy standing presses are probably better for abs than any crunches, or direct ab work. Anybody who can press 150 lb.s or more over their head while standing without cheating, and without a weight belt will have some pretty strong abdominals!
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Well said. I didn't know that about ab work though. It seems as though the abs would only be doing static contractions, which don't really do much. (I read) I'm not saying they wouldn't get some benefit; I'm just saying I wouldn't compare this to actual ab work.
 
Key of David

Accroding to exrx.com it hits the anterior (main target) and the lateral delts (synergist).

You just need to get something to hit teh rear delts, like heavy Pendlay rows, BB rows from a suspended position, high calble rows, and yeas the rear lateral raise (although the weight lifted is minimal compared to rows, it can be used as a add on).

I agree with Peak about the D/B's they are good to sort out delt differences, but then once that is done, MP and OHP cannot really be beaten in effectiveness.
 
Wow there are a lot of different opinions on barbell vs dumbell.

One thing is for sure I'm dropping the side laterals.

I've been using just the barbell and dumbells for the past couple of weeks with very high reps just getting the blood going and the joints and tendons ready again for all the future load.

Today I put some plates on the barbell and tried the military press. I went with high reps and got a pump, to see what was being worked.

The side delts were getting a great deal, and I can only imagine what the heavy weights are going to be doing. You're right, pulling the arms out to the side and keeping them there really puts it to the side delts. Never thought about that before.

Now I gotta decide between the dumbells and barbell (maybe dumbells until I get the shoulders straightened out). I may just go with the barbell, as I go for the heavier mass building weight. The more the better for the reps I can do.

But nothing is set in stone about that, just yet.....gonna try the dumbells before I make up my mind.

Thanks for all the responses and the good advice, this is one of the best forums out there, definately the best bodybuilding forum.
 
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(need2eat @ Sep. 14 2006,20:47)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">You really wanna build your shoulders, start doing pullups/chinups, if your not already.</div>
WHAT???
 
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(scientific muscle @ Sep. 14 2006,23:44)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Heavy standing presses are probably better for abs than any crunches, or direct ab work. Anybody who can press 150 lb.s or more over their head while standing without cheating, and without a weight belt will have some pretty strong abdominals!
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Here here for the Standing Mil Press and Abs. After every MP workout, my abs are sore. As such, my abs have gotten much stronger without any
direct ab work, not to mention the strength gains and growth of my shoulders.

I find the Bent Row and MP hits all shoulder parts efficiently for me.

i never use a belt for any movements.
 
You really, really wanna build your shoulders, start doing reverse hyper calf extensions on a Body Masters decline bench press machine followed by an injection of 32 oz of SAE 47 sythetic motor oil heated to 104 degress.
 
I do standing military presses at the moment and really like them.

The main reason I started was because I'm working out max-stim style and dumbbells aren't great for that...before then I was doing arnolds which I also like.

I don't think it's going to make a massive difference which you use so pick whichever you feel more comfortable with.

I lower the bar to the top of my chest - I don't know why you would want to limit range of motion by only going to the top of the head or in front of the face?

Cheers

Rob
 
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(quadancer @ Sep. 15 2006,21:34)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(need2eat @ Sep. 14 2006,20:47)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">You really wanna build your shoulders, start doing pullups/chinups, if your not already.</div>
WHAT???</div>
LOL!

I noticed that too but didn't wanna say anything.
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What I was going to do since dropping side lats is do shoulder presses followed by bend over laterals to hit the rear delts. I also do bend over rows so if that's not necessary I'll drop that too.

Kewl!!
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The standing shoulder presses do strengthen your abs to an extent. I make it a point not to use a belt until I get to maximum weights, and make sure its not too tight. I let it give just enough extra support as not to get injured, and its always worked great.

As far as ROM for a barbell MP, sometimes I get a rotator cuff issue which isn't fun. I've done exercises to improve the situation but sometimes it comes back. I even felt it a little with just the barbell and no weights. But if I don't go all the way down with the barbell its non-existant.

This was also one of the main reasons I wanted to be able to drop the side laterals, as its hard getting around a weak rotator cuff doing this exercise.

I haven't tried dumbells yet (will on monday) so still not sure which to use.

Will let you guys know what happens.

Thanks for all the info guys!
 
Haven't done these in years, but we called them &quot;lawnmowers&quot;...for the rear delts. You'd use a low cable pulley, bracing yourself with your other hand, and pull a stirrup in a motion just like starting a lawn mower. I'd guess there's another name for it.
(the Joe Weider Lawnmower Principle?)
 
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