incline press similar enough to military press?

[Secret of Steel]

I don't believe in isolation work as a strength builder. Right now I'm doing a super stripped down routine, temporarily using incline presses for both chest and shoulder work. But I'm questioning whether the medial deltoids are receiving enough stimulation. I want strong, healthy shoulders. I would overhead press, but like I said I've stripped everything down to recover for a few weeks from the previous few months, so I was hoping incline presses will do it. Thanks.

 

[weighted chinup]

Incline Barbell Bench will primarily target your chest but you can expect a lot of shoulder involvement if you are using the standard 45 degree angle of incline. I would expect to see an involution in OHP strength if you were to go a few weeks without training OHP, personally I don't see how this can be avoided if you don't perform the movement for a while.

 

[Docd187123]

Incline press has more carryover to bench than OHP. In the incline bench your body is braced against the bench. In OHP you have no such brace and are required to maintain stability with a load elevated above your head which doesn't carryover from having your body braced. You might not notice a strength decrease or a very little one depending on some factors but it wouldn't surprise me if you lost OHP strength like Weighted said. I'd prefer you doing bench and OHP instead of inclines but that depends on you and your training.

 

[double-leg]

Incline at 60 degrees will hit both.
But it would be better to vary at 30, 45, 60. But ultimately you will need to add military press

 

[Secret of Steel]

Great answers everyone. Thanks.

 

[Mayne]

Why not read up on deloading or just decrease frequency for a month but instead remove one of the best exercises for shoulders altogether?

 

[Northern Nutrition]

You dont need a bench to work medial deltoids. Any lateral raise with heavy weight will do the trick. Or you can include close grip straight bar raises. Or simply include some lateral raises with your current routine.

Incline recruits shoulders above 15*. So any regular incline exercise includes shoulder, but more anterior deltoid than medial or posterior.

 

[Ozzy619]

You dont need a bench to work medial deltoids. Any lateral raise with heavy weight will do the trick. Or you can include close grip straight bar raises. Or simply include some lateral raises with your current routine.

Incline recruits shoulders above 15*. So any regular incline exercise includes shoulder, but more anterior deltoid than medial or posterior.

I was going to say, doesnt incline or a press for that matter hit the anterior? I was under the assumption the best thing for medial were lateral raises.

 

[Northern Nutrition]

Edit: I misunderstood above post.

 

[Northern Nutrition]

That's correct, Ozzy.

 

[hotdog23]

Arnold presses are great for medial and anterior development. I even get it in upper chest when DB touch in supinated front position

Strip down routine for me would look like:

Incline
Dips
Pull-up
Row
Squat
Hyper or stiff leg DL

 

[Secret of Steel]

I'm not sure that lateral raises will ever build strong, healthy shoulders.

 

[hotdog23]

I'm not sure that lateral raises will ever build strong, healthy shoulders.

Not a natural/functional movement at all. And you have impingement issues this exercise needs to be altered or deleted

 

[Mayne]

I'm not sure that lateral raises will ever build strong, healthy shoulders.

Bodybuilding exercise, it's goal is not building strength but "sculpting" physique. Like other exercises if performed right it's safe. Lateral raises are one a few, perhaps 5?, isolation movements I ever do.

Not a natural/functional movement at all. And you have impingement issues this exercise needs to be altered or deleted

Like with every other exercise issues occur when performed wrong, as long as you keep your rom correct no impingement can happen.