Once the dumbbells reach your shoulders, twist the dumbbells to have your palms face out. When your elbows are in front of the body, however, coming down below the chin is fine. Well, yes and no. Everybody wants big shoulders, and the shoulder press is without a doubt the ultimate mass-builder for the deltoids. 2. Shoulder presses can be done from either a standing or seated position. Curl the kettlebell up to your shoulder as you would with a regular dumbbell curl. Not only are standing presses good for taking pressure off the spine; the exercise is also good for strengthening the lower back muscles (spinal erectors). A lot of people assume that sitting would take pressure off my lower back, but this isn’t the case. C. 3 sets. You might think the only way to perform dumbbell shoulder presses in a sitting position, but you can also perform them in a standing position. Our exercise illustrations represent original artwork registered with and protected by the U.S. To do this, pull your shoulder blades together by contracting your middle traps and rhomboids; that’s going to stabilize the shoulder joints. This is simply a standing dumbbell shoulder press, which is done identically to the seated version (with the exception of standing). Getting in the proper position on shoulder presses is critical for keeping the movement safe. Dumbbell strength standards are based on the weight of each dumbbell, not the weight of two added together. Alternative Exercises Standing Barbell Shoulder Press, Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press. The problem here is that you get external rotation of the shoulders, which can compromise the rotator cuff and potentially cause problems down the road. To absorb the weight in your lower body (not your spine and lower back), keep a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement. Standing Dumbbell Press . But this is an exercise for the shoulders, not the triceps. Maximize deltoid size and strength with the best mass-building move there is for shoulders. In the Shoulder Press video #1 above, I show you how to use the Versa Gripps on shoulder presses at the 19:00 mark. The only thing locking out the elbows does from a muscular standpoint is increase the contraction in the triceps. The shoulder press (aka, overhead press) is the most effective exercise you can do for building overall mass in the shoulders, particularly the middle delts; however, it’s also an exercise that can put your shoulders and spine in compromised positions if not performed correctly. Barbell Curl. Not that the incline press is a bad exercise, of course. "}, {"@context": "http://schema.org/","@id": "https://www.jimstoppani.com/home/videos/shoulder-press-2/file/flash","name":"Shoulder Press Master Class Part 2","@type": "VideoObject","thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/jstoppani/main_files_1193_thumb0.jpg","embedUrl": "https://www.jimstoppani.com/home/videos/shoulder-press-2/file/flash","uploadDate": "2018-12-12 18:17:33 UTC","description":"Maximize deltoid size and strength with the best mass-building move there is for shoulders. Standing up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, bend at your elbows to curl the weights up to your shoulders (be sure to keep your palms … Romanian Deadlift . Personally, I prefer to do my shoulder presses standing instead of seated, regardless of whether I’m using dumbbells or a barbell. If you’re able to keep your elbows out to the sides, though, with barbell presses, keeping doing it. {"@context": "http://schema.org/","@id": "https://www.jimstoppani.com/home/videos/shoulder-press-1/file/flash","name":"Shoulder Press Master Class Part 1","@type": "VideoObject","thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/jstoppani/main_files_1192_thumb0.jpg","embedUrl": "https://www.jimstoppani.com/home/videos/shoulder-press-1/file/flash","uploadDate": "2018-12-12 18:17:31 UTC","description":"Maximize deltoid size and strength with the best mass-building move there is for shoulders. I talk often about the benefits of using an open grip (thumb on the same side of the bar or dumbbell handle as the fingers, as opposed to wrapped around the bar) on bench press and lat pulldowns, and it’s also effective for shoulder presses. On this exercise, the open grip keeps the bar/handle lower in the palm, down by the meat of the hand versus up near the knuckles. The overhead dumbbell press increases strength throughout the entire shoulder region. Standing Dumbbell Curls. If you do decide to do behind-the-neck shoulder presses, make sure you don't lower the bar below your ears. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press. For many people, the only way to keep the elbows out to the sides on barbell shoulder presses is to go behind the head. The most important benefit of standing versus seated for me is that it provides more cushioning for my lower back. Now, just to be clear, the elbows are pointed out to the sides, but they’re still slightly in front of the shoulders and torso, not directly in line with them. And you don’t want to avoid strengthening them by always doing seated presses – in that case, the bench or seat becomes your crutch for weak spinal erectors. Personally, my goal isn’t to maximize my shoulder size, so that’s why I prefer standing presses. When it sits lower like this, the weight is directly over the forearm bones, which makes for a stronger press. So, in this Master Class, I'm going to cover how to best do shoulder presses for maximum effectiveness and safety. When standing, however, the legs, hips, knees, and ankles all act as shock absorbers and take some of the load. You can do that with shoulder presses, provided you do them properly. Continue curling the dumbbell upward until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbell is at shoulder level. Our dumbbell shoulder press standards are based on 486,000 lifts by Strength Level users. Make sure your core is tight and your chest is up. Standing Lateral Raises . Being directly over the forearms makes for a more direct line of force, where you’re pressing into those handles and straight up. Dumbbell Biceps Curl to Shoulder Press Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. If using an adjustable bench, have it set to a 90-degree angle, not leaned back. Hack Squat . But if delt size is your main objective, go ahead and do seated presses, staying cognizant of both your lower back and shoulder health. Same thing when using an adjustable bench and you adjust the seat back so that’s one or two clicks down from fully upright; it’s more like an incline press, and it’s hitting the front deltoids to a larger extent. BENEFITS OF THE STANDING DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS Teaches stable shoulder position when reaching overhead Improves mobility in the shoulder joint by allowing the shoulders to rotate freely without the restriction of a barbell Encourages strength development of all three heads of the shoulder muscles, triceps, while teaching core stability By standing… Pressing with dumbbells while in standing activates the abdominal, oblique, lower back, and spinal stabilizer muscles. The problem with barbell shoulder presses is that, when you bring the bar down, your head is in the way. When talking about shoulders as a body part, the muscle group we’re referring to is the deltoids. For example, if you bicep curl 20 lb dumbbells in each arm that would count as 20 lb not the total 40 lb. With a barbell, you either have to go in front of the head or behind it. I’m not jumping on the “functional training” bandwagon by any means, but with standing shoulder presses you are, in fact, using more muscles in the body and burning more calories; research proves that. In a seated position with your feet firmly planted on the floor, grasp two dumbbells with both hands. Seated Lateral Raises . A lot of the force from that weight is being absorbed by the spine and into the sacrum and pelvis. When looking at the dumbbell shoulder press, some questions came up regarding which variation (sitting or standing) was best, and why. Stopping at ear level is what I advise for behind-the-neck presses or if your hands are well outside shoulder-width (either with a bar or dumbbells); going below that puts undue stress on the rotator cuffs due to excessive external rotation. When using a low-back seat, especially when going heavy, a lot of people will let their butt slide forward on the seat so that they’re leaning way back. To move the bar in front of your face so that you can keep lowering it, your elbows have to come in front of your body. There are three deltoid muscles (or heads) in the shoulder: the anterior (front) deltoids, the middle deltoids, and the posterior (rear) deltoids. Terms of Use. Keep your upper arms tight at your sides. If you’re doing standing shoulder presses, you’ll first need to get the weight up to your shoulders. Note: The above videos were recorded as Facebook Live tutorials in conjunction with the Train With Jim Full-Body Shortcut to Size (Video #1) and Tabata Builder (Video #2) programs. Unauthorized use violators will be prosecuted. … Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Find the dumbbell shoulder press on Day 3 (shoulders and traps focus) of all four weeks of my Full-Body Shortcut to Size program. That’s the starting position. If they come too far back, you’ll be compromising your shoulder joint health. Curl the weight up to the shoulder area. Bodybuilders (and anyone who lifts weights a lot) tend to have overpowering front delts compared to middle delts because of all the chest exercises they do. Win-win! That’s why I prefer dumbbell presses. The motion here is pretty straightforward: Press the weight straight up overhead. There are biomechanical differences between the two, yet with proper technique, both versions are safe and effective. Not only are standing presses good for taking pressure off the spine; the exercise is also good for strengthening … In an earlier article we discussed the dumbbell shoulder press, a great movement to gain valuable muscle mass, strength, and address asymmetries for athletes and lifters of all sports. One simple way is to use dumbbells on shoulder presses instead of a barbell. That said, if you don’t have lower back issues and you prefer to do shoulder presses seated, at least make sure your torso is fully upright. Abs and Oblique Standing dumbbell shoulder press is the variation that exceptionally recruits muscles of your abs. Spider Curl . Alternating Vs. Standing Dumbbell Overhead Shoulder Press. Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. AI Transformation Contest Posing Tutorial. – but it’s an important factor for overall fitness, health, and even strength. One benefit of the standing version is you engage more core muscles to maintain your balance and control the weight. Standing Shoulder Press With Dumbbells | … Step 1 Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your chest with your arms bent and hands shoulder-width apart. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press. For the standing barbell press, walk up to the bar and grab it slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with palms facing away from your body. Alternate Incline Dumbbell Press. With arms tight at your sides, lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Pull Ups . “I’ve laid the groundwork for you by doing the research in the lab to find out what really works, designing the programs and systems, creating the content, and developing the technology. Other than that, keep those shoulders locked into position and press the weight with authority overhead. With dumbbells, you’re able to flare the elbows out without having to worry about hitting yourself in the head or face or lowering the weight behind your head (more on behind-the-neck barbell presses in a moment). This applies more to a barbell press, but this should also give you an idea of how wide to have your hands when using dumbbells. And keep your neck as straight as possible – don’t flex your cervical spine at the bottom of the rep. Hold for a count of one while squeezing your biceps. Don’t forget, those lower back muscles are part of the core, and we know that standing shoulder presses are great for strengthening that area. What it comes down to is elbow position. This cannot be achieved in sitting … Locking out the elbows at the top is not only unsafe for your joints, but it’s also unnecessary for maximizing middle delt involvement. The higher up in the hand the handle is, the further away it is from the forearm. If you want to build wider shoulders, get that good roundness, and achieve those “cannonball delts,” you really need to develop the middle deltoids. And not just on shoulder presses; where the lower back is concerned, standing is better than seated on dumbbell lateral raises and dumbbell curls as well. Step 3 Press the dumbbells straight overhead retaining the neutral hand position. And not just on shoulder presses; where the lower back is concerned, standing is better than seated on dumbbell lateral raises and dumbbell curls as well. Seated Dumbbell Press Homepage Exercise Profile Primary Muscle Group(s): Shoulders (Front and Side) Secondary Muscle Group(s): Triceps and Trapezius Exercise Instructions 1. Dumbbell shoulder presses will also activate the middle and rear delt. When you come down, lower the bar or the handles of the dumbbells to below chin level; if using a barbell, you’ll be bringing it down to your collarbones. EZ Bar Curl . Adonis Row Palms Down and Palms Up. You should have straps for pulling exercises anyway, so use them on shoulder presses as well just in case the handles or bar slips out of your hand. It’s a classic upper body strengthening … Again, I’m not trying to be Mr. Functional Trainer here, but it’s good to consider real-world carryover when choosing exercise variations. Elbow position determines deltoid involvement. As I mentioned above, your elbows should start out slightly in front of the body and stay that way throughout the movement. Aside from elbow position, you need to lock your shoulders into place to keep the movement safe and effective. The shoulder press can be done standing or seated. You might think that’s a good thing, but if you have lower back issues it’s not. This way, I’m hitting the muscles I want to hit without putting undue strain on my rotator cuffs. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing the body. To provide further support, contract the lats as well. Cable Cross Over . Because you’re supported by the seat or bench, you’ll be able to use more weight, and more weight equals more overload. Then follow these steps: Unrack the … ... Alternate Dumbbell Bicep Curls . To take the concept even further, research shows that the one-arm dumbbell shoulder press (where your non-working hand is not holding a dumbbell) is a great core exercise because it puts you in an unbalanced position and forces those muscles to work harder. Do not swing your hips to get the weight moving. Shoulder presses can be performed with the elbows pointed out to the sides or more in front of the body and pointed forward. and That said, your exact range of motion on shoulder presses will vary somewhat depending on what version of the movement you’re doing. Unlike other muscle groups that you can strengthen with a variety of exercises, the biceps must be engaged through basically the same motion: the curl… I prefer standing for a few different reasons…. You want them slightly forward to protect the shoulder joints from injury. If you prefer, try doing the exercise on a low cable machine. Save the elbow lockout for pushdowns and extensions. In other words, instead of the elbows being slightly in front of the body, they’re rotated further back (in line with, or slightly behind, the body). When doing seated shoulder presses, you’re able to use more weight because your upper body is supported. Barbell Front Raise. Let your arms hang by your side with your palms facing in to the side of your body. Stop just shy of full elbow lockout at the top, then slowly lower the weight back down to the start position. Posted in Exercise Database, Shoulders, Shoulders, Video, At Home, Gym | Tagged Shoulders, Exercise Demo, Exercise Database, Medicine Ball Shoulder Press | Leave a comment Now, drive the dumbbells overhead. One last point on seated shoulder presses: Even though it’s not my preferred version of the exercise, it is without a doubt the best way to overload the middle delts for maximum shoulder size – provided you maintain that nice upright torso position. The terms “shoulders” and “deltoids” (delts for short) are used interchangeably. Slowly, lower the dumbbells to your shoulders. Both variations will effectively target the front delt. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level. Step 2 Keeping your hands in a neutral position, curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders. But if it’s shoulder day and the goal is to hit the middle delts, keep your torso vertical. "}. Step … This greatly reduces the stress on the spine/lower back. One of the best dumbbell shoulder exercises is the shoulder press. Return to the start position in a controlled, smooth arc inhaling as you do so. At that point, you’re basically doing an incline press. Make sure your core is tight and your chest is … Hold a dumbbell in each hand just above shoulder height with your palms facing forward and arms bent. Barbell Front Raise Standing And Seated. I don’t prescribe one-arm dumbbell presses all that often in my programs, but if you want to focus on core strength, definitely consider subbing that in wherever I list dumbbell shoulder press in a workout. BarBell Deadlift (conventional) Barbell Deadlift Sumo Stance. Step 1 Stand with your feet hip-width apart. 10 reps. Performing the exercise from the standing position will actively engage the core throughout the range of motion. Chest press. Strength | Advanced. Dumbbell Shoulder Press . When the elbows come out to the sides, it’s hitting more middle delt; when the upper arms are in front of the body, it’s emphasizing the front delts more. I used to race motocross as a teenager and I had a bad accident, so I have some pretty serious back issues in my lumbar spine. In this position, the front delts are more involved. Begin by curling the weight up towards your shoulders. Go somewhere around shoulder-width for your grip. You’re also engaging the core to a greater degree when standing versus sitting. AdChoices. With dumbbells, however, the imaginary line between your hands can literally go right through the middle of your head when lowering the weights, thus allowing you to keep the elbows pointed out to the sides while not externally rotating the shoulders too much. Standing Dumbbell Arnold Press Grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand upright with your feet hip-width apart. I know a lot of people hate talking about the core – because everyone talks about core training, even people who have no idea what they’re talking about! Step 1 Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, with your palms facing your sides. Now, you may have heard people say to only go down to ear level. 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