Shoulder Work
 

There are several pressing exercises that I utilize during my shoulder workouts (Behind-the-Neck Presses, Front Barbell Presses, Dumbbell Presses, and Arnold Presses) and not all in the same workout, mind you.

With the dumbbells I lower the weight well below my upper arms being parallel to the floor. I like the stretch and range of motion and it doesn't bother my shoulders.

With the barbells, other than push presses, going below parallel seems to bring my triceps in more than my delts. The past few times I did barbell work, I felt like I'd done a triceps routine versus a shoulder one.

I'm not a huge fan of short ranges of motion, but that might be the only way to go for a while. Usually, my hands grab the bar about an inch out from my shoulders. I raise the bar to almost locking out then lower to touching my traps for a second, then lift again. How low does the bar need to go? :weights:?

I'm trying everything to minimize triceps involvement and I'm really struggling. Any advice on hand position or range of motion would really be appreciated.

Thanks guys...and gals (sorry Iron Kitten).:biggthumpup:

PJes, I would caution you about doing behind the neck press. I've heard many times that it is very bad for your shoulders.

I honestly dont think there is much you can do about tri involvement in shoulder pressing movements, just the same as with bench. I would just limit how hard you hit your tri's before/after you hit shoulders/chest. I know thats not what you wanted to hear, but thats all I can think of right now.

Thanks hrdgain81.

I hit shoulders and tris in the same day because my tris are involved so much. After a shoulder workout, I can really feel that my tris have been worked. Not so much with chest. Of course, with my chest, I keep the reps low....that might have something to with it.

As far as behind-the-neck presses, I might do them every third or fourth workout with moderate weight. I really don't do them to failure because of the awkward position. I keep the weight moderate so I can keep the weight under control throughout the set. I like the variation.

They remind of behind-the-neck pulldowns. I used to do them instead of pulldowns to the front because because I could feel it in my sides more. After awhile the awkwardness took its toll and bothered my shoulders and arms too much. If I ever do them now, it's usually for 8-10 reps with weight around 60-70 lbs (just something at the end of a workout to flush a little blood in.)

i dont think behind the neck presses are bad. i was doing them for a while but i was doign them with a snatch grip. i felt it soley in my delts and shoulders but................... i eventually started feeling my rotator cuff get sore. i fell liek those hit my shoulders and delts better but you cant do it wiht to much weight i guess.


and to try and limit tri use in with military presses. the only thing i suggest is trying to stay strict with the press. i find when people start to get towards the end of the sets or start to struggle the lower back gets arched and it almost looks and feels like an incline press. if you dont have to lug around to much weight i would suggest finding a pillar or even a bench that has a long top part so it wont let you arch your back. IMO when your back is more strict with the shoulder press you feel it more in your shoulders. thats just my opinion.

Our gym has a couple of mobile adjustable-incline benches. I'm tall enough that when the bench is upright, my shoulders are still above the top of the bench. I'll slide one of them into the rack and see what happens. Thanks.

I wouldn't worry too much about involving tri's with your press... Involving multiple muscle groups would be more beneficial than complete or near isolation of one group... Compound lifts are more natural and result in growth.. Your tri's are a major contributor in most any press...or anywhere you extend your arms..

i agree with enorris completly. i just found that when i tried to do stuff like i suggested i felt it in my shoulders a tad more, so i just wanted to share.

behind then neck presses are not healthy for your shoulders.

for someone healthy and fit with zero injuries, behind the neck presses are bad.
for someone like me - with many shoulder injuries and the like: behind the neck presses are horrible!

if you want to hit your shoulders better, put your hands at a position where your elbows are at 90 degrees and your forearms are straight up and down. This kind of grip is usually uncomfortable with a barbell, so try it using a bench bar so you have more room.

It is really next to impossible to truly isolate a muscle even doing "isolations" let alone when doing compound movements. Like ENNORIS said coupound movements result in growth. Unless this is to become the "how to screw up your shoudlers" thread, you'd be better off maintaining proper technique and concentrating on getting progressively stronger at the primary movements. I just said recently what I think is a good way of putting it: Instead of using the movements to make your body better; make your body better at the movements. Growth is a happy side effect of that.

I think most of the effort should be for that. If you weigh, for instance 185 and you get your military press up to 150, 160, 170 or beyond then you will have some big shoulders. And big everthing else. Providing that pressing is a healthy activity for your in the first place and you have not impingements, etc. that prevent it.

If you want to isolate the shoulders further beyond that then use isolations :). It is much safer to do some laterals and such then it is to modify a heavy pressing movement to put your shoulders in a vulnerable position.

behind the neck will weakin your rotater-cup alot of training books out now will tell u that