Comments on: Standing Barbell Military Press – Not Just a "Shoulder" Exercise

By: ken

ken — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:47:30 +0000

I like this article but it's important to advocate variety in lifting. Sure standing military presses are good….but not as good as mixing them up with seated presses…seated barbell…seated dumbbell etc. Point being that muscles adapt quickly. Maybe the increased definition and strength you found was not coming from the standing aspect of the lift but instead coming from shocking your system and making your body adjust to a new lift.

By: Esso

Esso — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:37:53 +0000

I somehow pulled something in my back doing a standing military press. Not sure how that works. I can feel the pull when I touch my chin to my chest. It was at the end of my lifting routine so I probably went too heavy.

I think I need to lay off this move for a while. Can you suggest a replacement move while I give this muscle a rest? I was think maybe a front dumbbell raise.

By: FOOTBALL MAN

FOOTBALL MAN — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:01:18 +0000

When I was playing football in college, I made great increases in strenth doing military presses. It is one of the best lifts to do.

By: Darren

Darren — Sat, 22 May 2010 09:25:58 +0000

Great post. I was beginning to think I get more gains, and more of an effective shoulder workout from standing presses than seated, and you've confired my reasoning.

Great one!

Regards.

Darren.
London.

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:59:32 +0000

Hi,Rusty.
I've been reading your site a year now and i'm a very very big fan of your strength traning advice(..that "mind to muscle link" post is awsome).
I'll ask you a big favor
Please make another post about exercises for shoulders that aproach Dwight Howard's type of shoulders(for example) and not the type of shoulders that look like a pencil's head.
Don't you think that too that square shaped shoulders and upper back are cooler than triangle shaped(like John Barbans – no offense,just an example)??
Pleaaaaase post something =)
Thanks for your attention.

By: Leonid

Leonid — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:43:41 +0000

Hi, Rusty.
This post is just all about what I have been doing for a long time now! It is exactly the way I do it – and it feels so functional lifting it from the floor: sort of deadlift – hang clean – static holding – press up – static holding – slow lowering – static holding and so on. And it works biceps too very well when doing static holding in the beginning of the press up movement. It is this exercise along with the bench press and squats that saw me gain 35 pounds of muscle mass in 10 month (from 126 pounds to 161) (HIT training once a week or two for 15-20 minutes a week).
Now I want to get lean and toned athlete look and gain relative strength and your site helps a lot! Thanks!

By: SemperFit

SemperFit — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:16:36 +0000

I forgot to add that they tax the core very nicely when you hold 'em statically/isometrically, when you hold them nice and hard between reps.

The divebomber pushups specifically, when you do them on one leg. I believe they call those scorpion pushups?

By: SemperFit

SemperFit — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:12:46 +0000

Since I often find myself in the position of not having any equipment at all, I rely and heavily practice BW workouts instead.

My substitute for the Mil Presses? Pike Pushups and Divebomber pushups. Make 'em harder or lighter by changing the angles or the limbs. High reps, low reps, no matter. Just don't go heavy everyday, as they can tax you just as hard as weighted drills.

By: The Fit News

The Fit News — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:57:17 +0000

Seated dumbell pronating shoulder press***

By: The Fit News

The Fit News — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:56:19 +0000

I love militaries. You're absolutely right about using abs to make it safer. If you have slack abs you'll end up bending too far backwards and injuring your spine!

However, I still think Arnold Press is better for shoulder strength. (Seated dumbell pronating press I think the technical name is)

It must be something to do with the fact that you need to stabilize the dumbell as you press it. They tend to give me better gains, better pump, better definition, etc.

By: Miguel

Miguel — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:22:37 +0000

This exercise is I do for 3 months and I successfully created my shoulder beautiful form

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:08:35 +0000

The handstand push ups are great! They also require an engaged core, proprioception, and upper body strength similar to the overhead press. For an even greater challenge they can be performed on parallel bars or even rings. The inversion of handstand push ups is also beneficial. Inversion allows oxygen rich blood to easily flow through the open vein valves. This blood floods the brain for an energy boost. Inversion is also beneficial for your lymphatic and circulatory systems.

By: Andri E

Andri E — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:02:13 +0000

On one foot*

By: Andri E

Andri E — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:01:54 +0000

Standing on foot while doing the Military press also works wonders. It makes the exercise extremely powerful on your abs.

By: admin

admin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:03:32 +0000

Ron,

I assumed that you had to use the wall…lol. Not a chance that I would be able to do these without the wall. You are a maniac!

Matt,

Glad you like the dragon breath exercise. Do this for a few months and it will sharpen up your abs big-time.

Rusty

By: Yavor

Yavor — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:58:00 +0000

Dangeruss,

- make sure to do the military presses with grip just outside of your shoulders so that the back/rear delts work when the bar rotates backwards.
- do pullups
- add 3 sets of 8-12 reps of rear delt flys

Yavor

By: Dangeruss

Dangeruss — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:05:23 +0000

I love doing standing military presses. Did a lot of em yesterday a long with 5×4 Hang Cleans at 115lbs. Working on getting it up to 135. Needless to say I got a really good shoulder workout. The only problem i'm having with shoulder exercises is I can never seem to "hit" my rear delts, so while my shoulders are nice and rounded on the front they are slightly lacking around back. Any suggestions?

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:32:30 +0000

DUDE!!!!! I have been doing the Dragon Breath all day at work and it is pretty amazing. I feel like i have done a ton of ab work and I am just sitting at mmy desk. Oh, i also forgot I hit up 3 sets of 15 knees to elbows this morning, but hey it can't do anything but help. THanks for the post, big fan of multiple reps and sets of olympic lifts. I don't ever go heavier than my body wieght, I just think you should be able to throw your own weight around.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:36:44 +0000

P.S. If you suck at handstands, just use the wall. That's what I do. Hopefully I'll eventually get good enough to not use the wall.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:34:52 +0000

Fair enough. How do you suppose they compare (standing barbell mil. VS. handstand PUs)?