military press front or back

[elmatador]

hi guys,

I was wondering whether it would be better to do the sitting military press front of neck or back. currently, i am doing it in the back. I can easily do 185lbs 10x. Anyway, after I finished my set, this one dude came and said to start doing it in the front instead coz it's safer to do and better since you can bring it all the way down to your chest rather than just 90deg on the back.

Please let me know which will be more beneficial to do? I would like to prevent any rotator cuff injury or shoulder injury. I can actually go up higher in weight on the press but i dont wanna screw up my delts in any way so i am being cautious.

Obviously, if i do it in the front the weight will be a lot less since i gotta get used to it.

So pls. let me know which is better. Thanks

[Ritch]

To the front would be better. 2 exercises I would never recommend are behind the neck presses and upright rows.

[warlock]

Behind the neck = added risk and no added benefit

[IronRobi]

Go in front. Behind the neck is harder on your rotator cuff and is not a natural movement for your shoulder.

[juggybuggy]

I prefer them behind the head.
I can do considerably more weight behind than in front, plus I find it much easier on my elbows.
when you do them in front, your elbows are out in front your shoulders, not in line with them.
when you do them behind the head, it puts your elbows and hands more inline with your shoulders, and puts less strain on the elbows IMO.
I never do them in front anymore.

[marino]

take it from a guy with two previous shoulder injuries, been told numerous times from doctors to physiotherapists never behind the head. I keep the weight in front and my shoulders feel great

[elmatador]

Sounds good guys. Looks lilke the front press is a majority recomendation so I will start doing them from now on.

I will need to drop the weight quite a bit for the first few times to adjust to the movement and all.

[GYMBRAT]

I used to do them behind the head as well, but also had ended up fu**ing over my shoulder, so yeah it's all to the front nowa days fosho!!

[buildinthaskinnys]

If they hurt your shoulders dont do them, but if they don't bother them do them. simple. And as a side note I would bet more people have injured their shoulders doing the benchpress than the behind the neck press but you never hear anyone telling you not to benchpress.

[O-Train]

If they hurt your shoulders dont do them, but if they don't bother them do them. simple. And as a side note I would bet more people have injured their shoulders doing the benchpress than the behind the neck press but you never hear anyone telling you not to benchpress.

Dante says don't benchpress. It more depends on how you bench than the movement itself. I've only done flat barbell bench a few times in the last year. Every time I do it hurts my shoulders and I remember why I don't do it.

Military Press should be done infront of the head.

[cog]

Mike Christian advocated only going to the point where your spine meets your skull,no lower.Also consider how you get it into place.

[buildinthaskinnys]

Dante says don't benchpress. It more depends on how you bench than the movement itself. I've only done flat barbell bench a few times in the last year. Every time I do it hurts my shoulders and I remember why I don't do it.

Military Press should be done infront of the head.

Im not going to stop because dante says to. I bench correctly these days so I dont need to worry about injurys (knock on wood).

[Praetorian]

Bingo, both the bench press and military press need to be performed correctly to avoid injury. With the bench press you need to have very little shoulder rotation to do this many things need to happen at the same time...i have posted this before so i wont go into it now. The same with the milotary press you need to be under the bar and drive straight up...not behind or in front of the bar.
Do the exercise correctly and you will build size and strength do it incorrectly and eventually you will get injured.
P

[O-Train]

Im not going to stop because dante says to. I bench correctly these days so I dont need to worry about injurys (knock on wood).

It's really more for guys benching with their arms way out to the side (like a bodybuilder benches if that makes sense). Also more for guys going really heavy to failure. There are alternatives to flat bench. So he probably just doesn't want guys doing 3-4plates/side with rest-pause sets and sustaining a serious injury.

I still do close grip bench with my elbows tucked and it feels great on my shoulders.

[Gemini]

I used to do them behind the head as well, but also had ended up fu**ing over my shoulder, so yeah it's all to the front nowa days fosho!!

Same here only tried it for a month behind the head, I could put more weight on but I ended up with a rotator cuff tendonitis. Not fun bro.

[LIVEHARD]

Front !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[elmatador]

sounds good guys...i will try out the front military press in a couple of days. Looking forward to it.

Is there any benefit of doing it standing vs. seated?

[cog]

They both have their benefits.

[faller]

They both have their benefits.

True, one WILL **** your shoulder and the other won't.

[elmatador]

True, one WILL **** your shoulder and the other won't.

so which one won't **** up your shoulder? sitting or standing?

[faller]

Ah, so i reread it and i'm now thinking cog ment sitting or standing, not behind or front press, sorry bout that Bro.

Sitting or standing both have their benefits. :)

[O-Train]

so which one won't **** up your shoulder? sitting or standing?

Both are fine. Just make sure you keep your core muscles tight and don't exaggerate the arch in your lower back. It's a way of cheating by allowing the pec major to do some of the work. Also a good way to hurt your lower back (especially when standing).

[ironwill]

I like doing them in front personally, behind makes my neck spasm real bad.....i only go down to mid head and use good form when going to back, but still get buggered up everytime, i crane my neck forward to get it behind me...I now use dumbells mostly for military and find that has alleviated the injuries....

[elmatador]

sounds good guys , i'll make sure not to cheat and get my form right. Thanks for all the posts guys. I'll try the standing up one first. The seated military rack at my gym is annoying coz the bar sits really high up and i have to get a spot everytime i do it coz my arms are short.

[hulkster]

To the front would be better. 2 exercises I would never recommend are behind the neck presses and upright rows.



whats so bad about upright rows?

[INked]

Heavy with a Smith machine safe for forced reps.Front is my choice,upright rows never hurt me and I'm all delts!

[guest]

i like behind the head way better it feels more natural to me, but i also damaged my shoulder doing them(going too heavy), lol.

[Ritch]

whats so bad about upright rows?

Just not for me, they mess up my wrists. I see them more as a trap exercise, and I don`t need to train traps anyway.

[cog]

whats so bad about upright rows?

Going a little too high.

[ironwill]

uprights are good for delt overall , and really work the tie ins of traps and delts....great overall exercise for some.....
bottom line is we are all very different mechanically....

[tex]

bradford presses will get your delts screaming....

[buildinthaskinnys]

uprights are good for delt overall , and really work the tie ins of traps and delts....great overall exercise for some.....
bottom line is we are all very different mechanically....

Yes quite, but more mentally.:puff

[L3]

bradford presses will get your delts screaming....

these look like a lot of fun... will give them a try next shoulder workout :D