View Poll Results: military press

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  • behind head

    12 19.35%
  • in front of head

    49 79.03%
  • don't do military press, who needs big shoulders?

    1 1.61%
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  1. #1
    withoutd0ubt's Avatar
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    do you do military press behind or infront of head?

    when doing military press, do you go infront of or behind your head??

    i've been going in front of but was wondering if there is a better way

  2. #2
    Warrior's Avatar
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    You NEVER do them behind your neck. Same goes for Lat pulldowns. Working in your verticle plane is a quick trip to f'ed up rotator cuffs. Always work in front...

  3. #3
    xxxl83 is offline Productive Member
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    I agree with warrior. I Never do any exercises behind the neck, I like my rotator cuffs to be injury free.


    xxxl83

  4. #4
    withoutd0ubt's Avatar
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    damn i didn't know it was so cut and dry, i've seen tons of guys at the gym doing them wrong then

  5. #5
    yellows2k is offline Member
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    the worst thing is when they cheat doing them behind their heads, its ridiculous...

  6. #6
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    hopefully my cuffs arent screwed. good thing i do them in front now

  7. #7
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    I usually do them in front seems that i can lift more in front

  8. #8
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    When doing front how low do you go? Do you go to chin level or to where bar hits the sternum? Pesonally, Ive been going to just chin level...

  9. #9
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    front and ~chin level

  10. #10
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    I do both, where is the "both" button? I mean you are working two different muscles. Frontal milatary press you work more of the frontal delts, behind the back it isolates the rear delts, traps and upper back.
    I play volleyball 4 days a week for going on 12 years now and been doing behind the back press for almost as long, and never had a single problem with a rotor cuff in my life. I do both for good measure, some may disagree but I firmly believe that behind the back press hits rear delts better.
    Last edited by Sicilian30; 05-20-2003 at 02:49 PM.

  11. #11
    flexgolf's Avatar
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    i go just below chin level, sometimes i touch my upper chest with the bar

  12. #12
    withoutd0ubt's Avatar
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    im all worried and shit now about what'll f up my cuffs

    ignorance used to be bliss

  13. #13
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    Originally posted by Sicilian30
    I do both, where is the "both" button? I mean you are working two different muscles. Frontal milatary press you work more of the frontal delts, behind the back it isolates the rear delts, traps and upper back.
    I play volleyball 4 days a week for going on 12 years now and been doing behind the back press for almost as long, and never had a single problem with a rotor cuff in my life. I do both for good measure, some may disagree but I firmly believe that behind the back press hits rear delts better.
    Agreed. Behind the neck presses get a bad rap these days but you can do more injuries to yourself doing squats. I have been doing behind the necks for years and never had a problem either. Just warm up real well before going heavy. My best lift last week was 250.

  14. #14
    Warrior's Avatar
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    Its a pretty well acepted that working in your verticle plane will mess up your rotator cuffs. So you guys can do them if you want... but I'd never recommend them... and neither would many strength coaches.

    Both the Behind the Neck Lat Pulldowns and Behind the Neck Military Presses are old movements that should be thrown out with bell bottoms. Doing Verticle Flyes for Delts was also something that had shared some popularity for awhile (I started to get some shoulder inflamation after only a couple months), mostly in European gyms - which is another horrible movement. If you want to target specific muscle groups - there are many option besides working in your verticle plane.

    Personally I had rotator cuff so bad that reaching to turn out the light at night was horrible. At the time I was doing Behind the Neck Military Presses... never again. About the only thing good from being put on some prednisone around that time was getting rid of that major inflamation.

    Some may be less prone to this - but I see no need to push it...

  15. #15
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    BOTH they TARGET different muscle areas! This goes back to past threads, working your whole body not just major muscles and ITS FORM not THE AMOUNT of WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  16. #16
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    I'm with Sicillian! I do both behind the neck and in front Military Presses. It has made me some BIG ASS SHOULDERS!!!

    R

  17. #17
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    Im thinking but correct me if im wrong its not really a military press if you go behind head. I do both and have no probs but then i am 16 so that helps.

  18. #18
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    I do behind the neck and superset with bentover laterals (dumbbell) to work my rear delts. I do seated db press for the front of my delts. I got BIG shoulders so it working good form me.

  19. #19
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    i never do behind the neck. you guys can reach back that far? i think behind the back shrugs will hit the same target for you.

  20. #20
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    Good thread. Now I am gonna have to do some current research on this one. How do you all feel about upright rows? GREAT for shoulders

  21. #21
    TheNewSteel is offline New Member
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    I used to do both, now I just do front
    I feel that bent over rows work the rear delts sufficiently (my rear delts are bigger now since i started doing bent over rows than when i did behind the neck military presses)

  22. #22
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    Im doing both, out of the last 8 weeks i went from 178lbs to 196lb and back down to 186lbs just recently on 1ad this is also the time i decided i need alot of back work. My bench went up 10lbs a arm in six weeks as my back wasnt spliting so much when i went 200lbs or into my new bench at 220lbs.
    Ive had a few minor spots from doing them on the back side a few times nothing major, just need to have the sense to know when to many is to much. Never took more than a few days to loose the same soreness i can get sleeping on the couch.

    Im still pushing my arms but their right at 13inches after 28mm from feb this year. Im so freaked that my gains stayed and i have seen my weight dip as low as 180lbs last week if i stop screwing my diet i can get my weight back down even.
    Last edited by dingobite; 07-24-2003 at 07:22 AM.

  23. #23
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    i have been doin military press in front, but lat pull downs in the back and have been noticeing bad rotator cuff problems. I might have to give it a switch. how long does it take for the inflamation to go down?

  24. #24
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    I Actually Started To Include Behind The Neck Presses In My Shoulder Routine, True You Cant Go That Heavy But I Feel As If Its Hitting All Three Heads. Ill Switch It Up Every Week But For Behind Ill Use The Smith Machine Only To Avoid Injury Plus Im Use To Doing Them..

  25. #25
    BIG BRUJO's Avatar
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    Sorry I Meant To Say I Use The Smith Also Because Im Not Use To Behind The Neck Presses

  26. #26
    BDTR's Avatar
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    I'll never do anything behind the neck, it leaves you soooo prone to shoulder injury its scary.

  27. #27
    GARO123 is offline New Member
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    I do the front military presses because when I do them to the back I feel my rotator cuffs straining and I already have a right shoulder thats bad.I heard that hitting it from the back isolates all three heads very well.But i cant go to heavy and I feel the pain.So for me Id rather not even go with them.

  28. #28
    popa's Avatar
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    I do them both ways....I switch up every now and then

  29. #29
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    I do both as well ... but I never go below the tops of my ears when doing them behind the neck.

    9

  30. #30
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    I do front only and down to my chin. All the research I have read goes right along with what "Warrior" has been saying.

  31. #31
    Bound for Muscle's Avatar
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    does anybody use dumbells for their military press?

  32. #32
    mass junkie's Avatar
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    both ways

  33. #33
    Warrior's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bermich
    Good thread. Now I am gonna have to do some current research on this one. How do you all feel about upright rows? GREAT for shoulders
    Upright rows are just forward of your verticle plane like a standard military barbell press (to the front). When you push or pull to the back - thats when the rotator cuffs become prone to injury...

    Upright Rows are a great mass builder for the entire shoulder girdle... depending on grip width you can hit more traps than delts or visa versa.

  34. #34
    Warrior's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony1leg
    i have been doin military press in front, but lat pull downs in the back and have been noticeing bad rotator cuff problems. I might have to give it a switch. how long does it take for the inflamation to go down?
    First, stop doing them that way.

    Second, start using more warm-up sets to get the blood localized and heat up the joints. It ususally takes me about 4-5 warm-ups sets for triceps (elbows) and delts (shoulders).

    If your problem keeps getting worse you may need to eventually go see a doc for some kinda anti inflamatory treatment (don't take corticosteroids for it - causes muscle wasting and fat gain). If you catch it early enough you might be able to stop it from developing into a major issue - one you can fix with some routine adjustments.

    I hit the Pull Downs to the Rear in high school a lot and remember it causing some shoulder discomfort - but nothing that caused significant damage that I couldn't correct with minor changes in routine. BUT - for some stupid reason, a couple years ago I kept on hitting the delts hard with behind-the-neck barbell presses even though my shoulders got so bad I was in a lot of pain just reaching to turn off the light at night. Don't let it go that far. Ever since I stop hitting the delts that way - the problem has not resurfaced. And all three delt heads continue to grow - no problem...

    In relation to delts - some may have probably noticed how the new Military Press Hammer Strength Machines have changd a lot in the last few years. The old one was a horrible angle - the new one is much more sturdy and moves you just forward enough to save from injuries.
    Last edited by Warrior; 09-07-2003 at 02:04 AM.

  35. #35
    Tayman is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Warrior
    Upright rows are just forward of your verticle plane like a standard military barbell press (to the front). When you push or pull to the back - thats when the rotator cuffs become prone to injury...

    Upright Rows are a great mass builder for the entire shoulder girdle... depending on grip width you can hit more traps than delts or visa versa.
    I have tried to figure out which grip would target my shoulders more when doing upright rows..I was always taught to use a narrow grip to reduce risk of injury.

  36. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tayman
    I have tried to figure out which grip would target my shoulders more when doing upright rows..I was always taught to use a narrow grip to reduce risk of injury.
    The narrow grip seems to hit my traps a little more.....around shoulder width seems to hit the side delts more....that's the way it feels to me.

  37. #37
    Testify's Avatar
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    Definitely to the front - much safer.

  38. #38
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    I do 'em on a machine to prevent reactivating an old shoulder injury from college - plane of motion is along the center of my body ... I also do lateral raises, bent-over raises, sometimes rows, and single-arm cable pullbacks (my fav' for the rears)

  39. #39
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    Shit ive done it behind...if thats wrong ill correct myself. Dont wanna fuck my shoulder up more then it is man. lol

  40. #40
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    Are dumbells a good thing to use?? Never tried that.

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