Shoulder press i HATE it.

repmks

repmks

Member
I hate the shoulder press seated/standing/dumbbells any type. i feel like my shoulder tendons are hanging on by a thread. the cartilage grinds i never enjoyed the lift. is the shoulder press an indispensable part of my routine or can i cut it out? i honestly think my front delts get enough stimulation from various benching angles dips and close grip bp.
 
I agree with Steve, you should try utilizing things like Face Pulls, Y's + T's, Front plate raises, scapular retractions, and strict dumbbell cleans. Once you start using these exercises you will build up a lot of the stabilizing muscles in and around your shoulders. Also you should be doing them in a high rep, lower intensity fashion ie 5 sets of 15-20. You may also want to back off of full range benching for a while and replace it with something like a 1 board press or use a piece of foam or rolled up fabric on your chest to dampon the transition from eccentric to concentric. Finally if you do decide you want to do an overhead press, try using dumbbells with a neutral grip.
 
Good advice on the neutral grip. I would also recommend that you do not go past the ear on decent.
 
I've had my fair share of shoulder issues in the past, i've lost count on numbers it's dislocated. And shoulder press along with many other shoulder strengthening excercises saved me a lot of pain and more trouble with my shoulders.

Maybe you should check up on them, frontal delts, back, and both inner and outter movements would probably help you out a lot on more excercises even, like your benches and stuff. A bum/weak shoulder will take a lot out of what you can bench for instance.
 
I agree with pmiller383. Cuban rotations help me immensely. I like to use dumbells and go real slow 10-15 reps. I do 2 sets to warmup and 3 sets in between my shoulder/bench sets. Protractions/retractions also help me.
 
I was just reading this post because I am not sure if I should be going as heavy as I am capable of on shoulder press considering that it is a relatively small muscle group. What I am thinking about doing instead of shoulder press is four sets of two minute drills while doing a hand stand with my feet touching a wall. Has anyone ever heard of two minute drills they are supposedly something that navy seals do at least that is what the perfect push up said that is where I got the chart for them. Since I can do between 10 and 15 hand stand push ups. Each set of 2 minute drills I will complete or try to compete 20 reps then rest. First 8 then 6 then 6 again in under two minutes.
 
You can do a few different types of front raises and lateral raises, and focus on doing them slow, particularly when letting the weight back down.

these work for me and are a good excersize, Overhead shoulder press is actually not a great movement for your body, you are moving the joints in an unnatural movement that puts a lot of strain on them. However, there is no question that the overhead press is the most effective excersize that we can use to build impressive shoulders.

I have a "clonk" in my right shoulder every time i lower the weight. i think most people hear stuff too when they make that movement.

I do overhead pressing first, then finish out with sets of lateral raises. they are a good isolation excersize but not as good for overall shoulder mass building.

You can omit overheads and replace with front and laterals but you are going to have to do a lot of hard work with the raises if you want to have good results.
 
I've had minor shoulder problems from weighted pullups, weighted dips, and heavy bench press. Learning from other people's mistakes before I make a giant one of my own I've reworked my routines and now I use the following with great results:

Muscle Snatch:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_NlwXBs37E"]YouTube - DieselCrew.com - Shoulder Rehab - Muscle Snatch[/ame]

I found out about the Corner Press in this article:

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Corner Press Video:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAZznJQDZ-w"]YouTube - Corner Barbell Press/Lumberjack Press - 25 lbs[/ame]

Here's a link to all the dieselcrew shoulder rehab work on youtube:

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I have a question for you...Are you doing Dumbell Lateral Raises as a part of your routine? If you are and are like ALOT of people out there you are doing them in the Coronal Plane of Motion, which would be in a line sliced right through the middle of your body sideways. Problem is they need to be done in the scapular plane, about 20-30 degrees out in front. Doing them with your arms back so you think you are hitting mid delts more is actually making your supraspinatis tendon rub the acromiun process. BAD! What's this have to do with overhead pressing? well...it can cause a pretty bad ass shoulder impingement as well as rotator cuff issues.
I'd do rotator cuff strengthening and avoid pressing anything overhead for a little while. When you go back to it...stick with overhead dumbells, going to allow for a more natural ROM for you specifically.
 
i had shoulder problems from HS as the coaches or anyone else said anything about going all the way down to your traps on behind the head presses was very bad for the shoulders. it took me my 2nd year in college for my shoulder to stop hurting on presses and heal up. If DB's dont work for you, and neither do standing military presses, try presses on the smith machine. I do front and behind head sets( stop at top of hole in back of head for behind neck presses) and I haven't had any pain since. Also smith machine presses hit my delts alot harder than DB's ever did. Lower weight and higher reps(12-15) have added significant mass along with the added front and side laterals. Also you could try throwing in Arnold presses as well. Good luck bro.
 
thanks for all the replies. helped a lot. that corner press looks really interesting gotta try that out. im going to try to do more rotator strengthening type exercises. machines also caught my attention. always strayed away from them but will utilize them on my next shoulder workout. thanks for all the tips. doing shoulders this friday. will update. peace to all.
 
I haven't been able to do shoulder press ever since I broke my back 3 years ago. I can't do anything that has weight pushing directly down on my spine. I've been able to get great growth on my shoulders though. My routine consists of upright rows, front DB raises, DB lateral raises, rear delt work. They also get hit on chest day with incline bench.
 
started doing shoulder presses on the hammer strength. feels really smooth with no strain on the joint. going to stick with that for a while. changed my bench form a bit also to powerlifter form with the elbows tucked in and bar going to the belly feels much better on my shoulders.
 
Though I put overhead presses in the same class as squats and deadlifts - all things manly, I wouldn't say they are necessary, especially if you have some shoulder problems. How do isolation lifts feel?
 
yeah if it hurts, dont continue doing it.listen to your body and all these guys are correct try other routines. and yes the hammer strengths might be good for you. just kinda test things out and see what works best for you! Goodluck!
 
repmks said:
started doing shoulder presses on the hammer strength. feels really smooth with no strain on the joint. going to stick with that for a while. changed my bench form a bit also to powerlifter form with the elbows tucked in and bar going to the belly feels much better on my shoulders.
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Thats what I was going to say. The isolation definately helps. Come to think of it, the only free shoulder presses I do are arnolds, and occasionally standing. Otherwise, I use the smith or the hammer, its always worked for me, and my shoulders are one of the pinnacles of my physique. Well defined with delts the size of softballs.:firedevil:
 
ShakesAllDay said:
Though I put overhead presses in the same class as squats and deadlifts - all things manly, I wouldn't say they are necessary, especially if you have some shoulder problems. How do isolation lifts feel?
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i just dont feel isolations build the mass in the front delt and triceps like a pressing movement. i deff do them though. front raises laterals and bent over reverse flies.
 
repmks said:
i just dont feel isolations build the mass in the front delt and triceps like a pressing movement. i deff do them though. front raises laterals and bent over reverse flies.
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everyone is different,.. .just gotta find out what works for you.
My shoulders would not grow off just presses, wasnt til I added high rep, controlled lateral sets, then they started growing. Same with chest,.... adding flys in significantly added shape and thickness to my chest i never would have had if i just did "some" isolations here and there. I agree squats, deads, and all presses, are benchmarks,... but i also think many people underestimate the effects of some good isolation movements.

Hope your shoulders feel better bro,... ive been there, it sux.
 
My right shoulder pops every time. Kinda scary

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i think shoulder presses are things u have to do, it's the most badass lift u can do, it's the other shoulder excercises that are the ones that'll hurt u, for example doing front raises with the barbell turned horizontal is terrible for your rotator cuff, turn it verticle, high pulls are also really bad because ur cuff is turned the wrong way
 
Young Gotti said:
i think shoulder presses are things u have to do, it's the most badass lift u can do, it's the other shoulder excercises that are the ones that'll hurt u, for example doing front raises with the barbell turned horizontal is terrible for your rotator cuff, turn it verticle, high pulls are also really bad because ur cuff is turned the wrong way
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everyones body is shaped and built differently, therefore there are no set rules.
 
I dont think you have to do shoulder press per se. I do find it to be the best strength and mass builder out there (bb version). however, it also depends upon how far down you go with the weight. There is so much varying information about that. For me (as a guy with 3 previous shoulder operations, major ones) I go to the lower lip and then go up. Any lower, and I wont have arms left, especially on heavy days
 
I looooooooooooooooooooove Standing BB Shoulder Press and Seated DB Shoulder Press.

Work your **** out and get back to doing them. Nothing beats those two mass builders.
 
Ironpounder33 said:
I looooooooooooooooooooove Standing BB Shoulder Press and Seated DB Shoulder Press.

Work your **** out and get back to doing them. Nothing beats those two mass builders.
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i dont know,..... did clean and presses today,..... my shoulders were damn near obliterated from 185x15,....... so thats my new favorite shoulder exercise:hammer:
 
Like others have been saying, rotator cuff strengthening movements will probably help you out a lot . I used to have really bad shoulders- they'd hurt horribly when I would shoulder press barely any weight. Lat Raises raises helped, as well as slowly building arm muscle with other compound movements along with presses. Fish oil is great for lubing up the joints as well. I try to take about 3-5 grams a day. Now I have no shoulder problems. :)
 
I am going heavy now and using dumbbells just as heavy as on bench press and bent over rows. There was a conditioning period of time that I had to go through before I could do that without feeling discomfort in me right shoulder joint. 10x10 is what I do for all upper body exercises.

mclovin30 said:
I was just reading this post because I am not sure if I should be going as heavy as I am capable of on shoulder press considering that it is a relatively small muscle group. What I am thinking about doing instead of shoulder press is four sets of two minute drills while doing a hand stand with my feet touching a wall. Has anyone ever heard of two minute drills they are supposedly something that navy seals do at least that is what the perfect push up said that is where I got the chart for them. Since I can do between 10 and 15 hand stand push ups. Each set of 2 minute drills I will complete or try to compete 20 reps then rest. First 8 then 6 then 6 again in under two minutes.
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do shoulder dislocations. Helped me alot. grip broom handle at both ends palms down. bring over head till it touches your ass. Looks crazy, works great.
 
deadliftr1- idk if this is what ur talking bout well something like it... i got these rubber bands and i stretch them infront of my body reached all the way out and bring it over head and go back till i can really feel the burn. then i do door way stretches. Internal rotations external rotations. then i sit on the floor with my palms facing forward and really stretch out the front delts.. that alone takes 30 mins. if im benching i need tons of warm up sets for bench
 
ok so its been roughly 2 months since i stopped doing almost all overhead pressing. And i have to say my shoulders feel great and my bench has gotten better since i dont wreck my shoulders on military pressing dumbell shoulder pressing and stuff like that. my front delts are seem to growing from the significantly increased weight i use on benching exercies. i do decline flat incline and close grip bench press rountinely. as for my side delts and rear delt i hit them with what i always did upright rows, lateral raises, and bent over heavy reverse flies.

i have come to the conclusion that the shoulder press is not nescessary for me. discontinueing shoulder pressing exercises has not hurt my shoulder development. and the main thing is they feel much much better.
 
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