One of several crucial elements that completes a wide and powerful-looking upper torso is the development of well-rounded shoulders. Shoulders may drastically improve your appearance, and the overhead press should undoubtedly be a part of your routine if you want to expand this muscle to its full potential.
The overhead press is a compound upper-body exercise. A compound exercise is any movement where you’re using more than one muscle group at a time. As a result of performing the overhead press, the following muscles are engaged and strengthened: triceps, traps, deltoids, pectorals, lower back, hips, abdominals, glutes, and Legs.
When performing the press, the lower body is engaged to a lesser extent than the upper body. Still, the lower body provides stability and balance while holding the weight in the press. The overhead press is traditionally done while standing straight, requiring core strength, balance, and stability. Lifting the weight overhead engages more abdominal and stabilizing muscles, which helps with posture and functional motions. The shoulder press is a functional exercise that can help you perform better in other exercises such as the bench press.
A barbell with weights is all you need to perform a standard overhead press. If you’re just getting started, a squat rack can help you keep track of your weight between sets. Dumbbells, kettlebells, bench, and Smith machine may be required if you want to perform a variation.
The shoulder press variations shown below can be used to bulk up your shoulders:
Arnold Press
The Arnold dumbbell press or Arnold press is one of the best exercises that target your deltoid muscles (rear delt, front delt, and side delt), which makes it a very effective move. It also helps improve your posture, increasing your shoulder stability, and keeps your muscles under tension longer than traditional presses.
First, begin with a few exercises to warm up the shoulders, such as an overhead lasso, one forwards and one backward, alternating chest hugs, rolling shoulder circles, and straight arm circles. Sit upright on a bench with your back placed against the support, and hold two dumbbells in front of you at chest level. keep your palms facing your body and your elbows bent. Raise the dumbbells while simultaneously rotating your palms until they face forward. Continue pressing the dumbbells overhead until your arms are extended above you in a straight arm position. After a second pause at the top, lower the dumbbells while rotating your palms back towards you back to the starting position. Repeat. Do three sets of 12 reps; then 10 reps per set with a heavier weight. You can perform the exercise standing up.
Standing Military Press
The military press is one of the best exercises for building practically every main muscle group in your body, including your triceps, traps, deltoids, pectorals, lower back, hips, abdominals, glutes, and Legs.
Stand up straight grabbing a weighted barbell using a pronated grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place the bar on your collar bone, then lift it above your head by locking your arms. Hold for a count squeezing your back and shoulders tightly. Lower the bar down to the collar bone slowly, and repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Seated Military Press Behind Neck
You can perform the behind-the-neck press while seated or standing. Start with a seated version on a weight bench if you’re new to the sport. For additional support, consider using a vertical backbench. When you do the behind-the-neck press in a seated position, you can concentrate more on the barbell position and keep your shoulders from rotating outward.
Set up a bar just below shoulder height with the desirable, then place an adjustable bench beneath it. Sit down on the bench and unrack the barbell using a pronated grip. Slowly lower the bar to the back of your neck and squeeze your shoulders Press the bar up until your arms are fully extended. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Standing Behind The Neck Press
A behind-the-neck press is a shoulder-targeting exercise. Because you don’t have any back support and your general body stability is less than it would be if you did it in a sitting position, the standing form of the behind-the-neck press maximizes the danger of injury. Abdominal activation is one of the key advantages of the standing variant.
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weighted barbell at waist level with an overhand grip. Rest the bar on your shoulders behind your neck, then raise it overhead by fully extending your arms. Hold the contraction for a count squeezing your shoulder muscles tightly, and lower the barbell back down to the starting position. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Push Press
The push press is intended to improve shoulder and upper-body strength, as well as lower-body and core power and stability. The push press is a more advanced form of the overhead press that requires the engagement of the entire body. When the lower body is included in the lift, it is possible to generate great amounts of power against heavy loads. It can be utilized to go beyond a stumbling block or to build strength for the Clean and Jerk.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the barbell with a full grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, elbows pointing forward. The bar should be resting on the front of your shoulders. Squat down and center your weight under the barbell in a shallow squat. Drive the bar directly above your head until your arms are straight, pressing up through your heels. Lower the bar to your chest while keeping your spine in a neutral arch throughout the movement. Repeat for as many sets as desired.
One-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
The one-arm dumbbell bench press allows you to train each press separately, identifying weak areas in the shoulders, triceps, and pecs. As an added benefit, OT forces your core to balance your body, preventing you from zig zagging off the bench.
Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand and extend your arm until the weight is in line with your shoulder. Slowly drop the weight to the side of your chest by bending your arm. Hold the contraction for a count squeezing your shoulder muscles tightly, then return the weight to the starting position. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Landmine Press
The landmine press works practically all of the muscles in your upper body. They are also slightly easier on the shoulders than vertical presses due to the curving route of the press and the neutral grip.
Hold the weighted end of the barbell in front of your chest with both hands. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and level. Press the weight up until your arms are fully extended. Hold the contraction for a count squeezing your upper body muscles tightly, then return the weight to the starting position. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.