military behind-the-neck press?????

[tatt2d]

I like this movement and have been using it as part of my delt routine, but I recently read an article which advised against it. A PHD from Florida Atlantic University stated, "Don't do the military behind-the-neck press.....this movement creates alot of stress on the rotator cuff inside your shoulder joint and can cause a tear." I would like some practical opinions, what do you guys think....Good or Bad?

 

[HHH]

I do them infront. Thou I have done them behind
the head,,low weight.

HHH

 

[Glock19]

I always do them behind the back. I make sure I wear a belt though...I have lower back probs. I then alternate to dumbells from the front...sometime supersets. Great exercise!

 

[Phreezer]

Too many rotator cuff problems doing them behind the neck... stick to the frount.. honestly there isn't any more improvement to muscle recruitment doing them behind the neck.

 

[Freddy]

Too many rotator cuff problems doing them behind the neck... stick to the frount.. honestly there isn't any more improvement to muscle recruitment doing them behind the neck.

I really agree with this. I'm not totally against behind the neck...I mean, if you like it and you can tell yourself objectively that its working, than great. Keep doing them.

But I think most people just use it as an excuse to use less ROM and more weight. They tend to only go halfway down, and the shoulders are statically contracted for the whole movement, letting the triceps do all the work. Not "ideal" for a lot of you bodybuilders, I don't think. I could be wrong.

Doing them in the front so that the bar touches your chest and then goes all the way to lockout uses full ROM, which is great for weight gaining (which should make you BBers happy) and also prevents injuries...which should make everyone happy.

 

[armsports]

I used to do these heavy and loved them. After my shoulder injury, I stick to military's lowered just to chin level.

 

[eleven11]

Makes my shoulders hurt just thinking about them. There's more joint friendly ways to build your shoulders.....11

 

[Pablo34]

I do military presses to the front on a smith machine because at my gym, the 2 military press racks are set up to be used behind the neck, which is NOT good. To do them to the front, I would have to use my chest and shoulders at an awkward angle to get it off the rack (impossible). I stick to the smith machine and get good gains from it. Sometimes I follow up with a couple sets of DB shoulder presses.

 

[Ramstein II]

question re: Military PRess

I'm considering eliminating military presses all together. It seems to me that behind the neck pressing is too tough on the rotator. Front pressing works the front delt and a little mid delt. Don't incline presses and even bench presses work the front delt just as well? And upright rows are the king of mid delt exercises. So why even do over the head pressing if your do inclines?

 

[Freddy]

I'm considering eliminating military presses all together. It seems to me that behind the neck pressing is too tough on the rotator. Front pressing works the front delt and a little mid delt. Don't incline presses and even bench presses work the front delt just as well? And upright rows are the king of mid delt exercises. So why even do over the head pressing if your do inclines?

You're correct...as long as you do a lot of other pressing, militaries are not necessary.

I caught a ton of flack a while ago for saying this, but its true. I still stand by this.

I'm not saying that militaries are bad, I think they're great. But they aren't necessary. In the same way that flat bench is great, but its not necessary. As long as you do a lot of pressing, it doesn't really matter all that much which pressing movements you do (to some extent). Just get a good variety, as you are already doing, to make sure the movements aren't redundant.

 

[thick]

I agree. I only do military press a couple of 6-8 weeks sessions per year. Otherwise I leave it out. I dont ever go behind my neck. I enjoy db military but dont enjoy the position my shoulders get put in trying to get heavy db's into position.

You're correct...as long as you do a lot of other pressing, militaries are not necessary.

I caught a ton of flack a while ago for saying this, but its true. I still stand by this.

I'm not saying that militaries are bad, I think they're great. But they aren't necessary. In the same way that flat bench is great, but its not necessary. As long as you do a lot of pressing, it doesn't really matter all that much which pressing movements you do (to some extent). Just get a good variety, as you are already doing, to make sure the movements aren't redundant.

 

[Biggriz]

Behind the neck presses are like behind the neck pull-downs and even like "never let your knee go over your toe"...fuckin' uneducated doctors and dumbass personal trainers!!! The "truth" is it's OK! Some can do these moves and benefit, others can't . Do you have joint problems, flexibility issues, range of motion issues, etc. For some people it's not advisable to walk two miles at a fast pace...others can climb Mt. Everest with no harmful side effects.
Know what the biggest cause of shoulder problems is??? Doing too much pressing and pushing and not an equal amount of pulling.

 

[womenrimmer]

I've pretty-much always used the btn press.I did use military sometimes,but I was always able to military more than press btn.I've never had any flexibility problems in my shoulders and that was never an issue in the btn press with me.
My shoulders never hurt in a bad way from it after exercise.They always seemed more stimulated to me with the btn press,as opposed to militaries.

 

[zman12]

I myself never do them behind the neck because I have had some shoulder problems. I only now do them to the front at about chin level. I have myself read different things on them saying they could be bad for you I just know when I do them I fell alot of stress in my rotator cuff.

 

[betterthanu]

behind the neck is a no-no, I tore something in my shoulder recently doing them. According to my doctor it is my labrum, if that is correct. I have to get it scoped.anyways, stay away. happy lifting.

 

[Biggriz]

EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!!!! Some, including me, can do them and BENEFIT without ANY problems. Your Doctor WAS NOT schooled in weight training...and if he was, it was faulty

 

[viking69]

EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!!!! Some, including me, can do them and BENEFIT without ANY problems. Your Doctor WAS NOT schooled in weight training...and if he was, it was faulty

I agree. Behind the neck presses can work great for some and not work for others. If one is not sure, start with a low weight and do slow reps. If there is pain, then stop and go to something else. But if it can work for you, WOW!

Peace

 

[Juggernauttx]

Behind the neck presses are like behind the neck pull-downs and even like "never let your knee go over your toe"...fuckin' uneducated doctors and dumbass personal trainers!!! The "truth" is it's OK! Some can do these moves and benefit, others can't . Do you have joint problems, flexibility issues, range of motion issues, etc. For some people it's not advisable to walk two miles at a fast pace...others can climb Mt. Everest with no harmful side effects.
Know what the biggest cause of shoulder problems is??? Doing too much pressing and pushing and not an equal amount of pulling.

You are right, alot of people get injured on the BNP, because they lack flexibility and strength in their upper back to properly do the exercise. Ad training heavy with this exercise, then you have problems. I know alot of people are saying that they had proper form, and they did them right. But, even though you think and feel you did them right, if your upper back lacks the strength and flexibility needed, then you are doing them wrong! Another case example, is squats. They are known as back killers. These are back killers for the people with weak backs and abdominals. But for people with strong lower backs and abdominals, they are great leg builders. Hope this makes sense

 

[Biggriz]

Yea Juggernautxx...right on baby!!!

 

[chis1361]

Behind the Neck lifts!

Try, behind the neck but only bring weight down to your ears level, serious rotator cuff action anything lower than your ears bro. Yes indeed pain is good, however the wrong signal might be serious ailment, which can hamper your development ruin a good training program back to the basic's. Get some Chis