Lower back pressure on military press

[DerickVonD]

Recently I've been having pressure in my lower back while military pressing, even when wearing a belt.

[jcp2]

Weak core and or you are bending back too much. I do my standing strict militaries where i finish over my head, not out in front. My best is 230x5, which i am sure is better than most, but not as good as some, and i have never even had a tiny bit of back pain and i don't wear a belt. Try doing them where when you clear your head you start to finish over it. It will make you much stable.

[DerickVonD]

I might just switch to overhead presses

[TravisG]

military press works the medial deltoid. there are many other exercises that work the medial deltoid that do not involve heavy pressure on the lower back. one thing to try. not sure if you do them seated or standing but try them seated with your lower back firmly against the back rest. if this done correctly it should bother your lower back. BUT if it still does. do dumbbell side raises, cable side raises, upright row. the list goes on and on that can let yourself avoid military press and the exercises that work the middle delt.

[DerickVonD]

military press works the medial deltoid. there are many other exercises that work the medial deltoid that do not involve heavy pressure on the lower back. one thing to try. not sure if you do them seated or standing but try them seated with your lower back firmly against the back rest. if this done correctly it should bother your lower back. BUT if it still does. do dumbbell side raises, cable side raises, upright row. the list goes on and on that can let yourself avoid military press and the exercises that work the middle delt.

thanks. I just really want broad shoulders and the ability to say Yeah I can military press xxx amount and the ability to pickup a full grown man. What about arnold presses? Now that I think about it, maybe it is that I have a weak core, I mean I can military press 90lbs fine, but when I started doing 100lb like I am now it feels much more unstable. Also I just recently starting doing front squats correctly. I'm concerned about having broad shoulders and being about to eventually pick up a 250-300lb person. I'm doing deads and squats and front squats, but I'm not doing a lot on any of them because I just recently got the form 100% down after doing them wrong for awhile, and am wondering if maybe that is why I can't military press more then 90 and have pressure on my back. I'm only front squatting 80.

[dedlifter1]

Weak core is almost certainly the culprit, or, like stated, your bending your back too much to acheive more weight. i would personally never replace MP with anything either, just fix the problem. It is a staple exersise imo. Preferrably standing as well.

[lennoxchi]

one thing to try. not sure if you do them seated or standing but try them seated with your lower back firmly against the back rest. if this done correctly it should bother your lower back.

hate to burst your bubble here.......sitting down causes a considerable amount of pressure on the back, especially the lower back, than standing does. to the op, do you stretch your lower back after lifting? most people do not. they lift, then go home. i used to have lower back pain once and a while. when i started stretching after lifting, especially the lower back stretches, the pain and discomfort went away almost right away. try it. i know stretching is not the most manly thing to do, but if it helps then who cares?

[DerickVonD]

Weak core is almost certainly the culprit, or, like stated, your bending your back too much to acheive more weight. i would personally never replace MP with anything either, just fix the problem. It is a staple exersise imo. Preferrably standing as well.

I think it's probably both. I have a weak core and thus try to compensate by arching my back. I have never successfully gone past 90 on either the over head or military press, but as stated I've just recently been doing front squats correctly after learning proper form again. I think I'll just bump to the weight down to 70 and work my way back up. That way also I won't be trying to military press more than I can front squat.