# How low do you go for military/dumbbell presses



## golfgttdi (Oct 6, 2010)

Just wonderin how low everyone goes on shoulder presses,

I do dumbbells seated, and do standing in a smith, (no rack no spotter)

I see some guys bringing dumbbells almost down to their shoulders (elbows practically pointing down)and others going just low enoungh that their upper arms are parrallell with the floor.

Just looking for any input?


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## BIG BUCK (Mar 26, 2010)

messes with my shoulder joints (rotater cuff) if i go to low, i go so my arms are 90 degrees bent.


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## Nickthegreek (Jan 27, 2011)

arosair said:


> I do dumbbells seated, and do standing in a smith


 Standing in a smith , Really how tall are you?

I usually try and go low to just above my shoulder, but if I am going super heavy I would go down to around my ear level.


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## myles (Sep 27, 2006)

Nickthegreek said:


> Standing in a smith , Really how tall are you?
> 
> I usually try and go low to just above my shoulder, but if I am going super heavy I would go down to around my ear level.


 How low are your ears, Nick?!


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## golfgttdi (Oct 6, 2010)

Nickthegreek said:


> Standing in a smith , Really how tall are you?
> 
> I usually try and go low to just above my shoulder, but if I am going super heavy I would go down to around my ear level.


Ha ha ive no idea why i typed that, i meant to say i do dumbells seated and barbells in a smith (no rack no spotter)

Im 6ft 1' i dont think id manage ha ha,

I tried going to bout 90degree arms and it felt gr8 on the shoulder joints, still got nice pump by the end but was just worried if i was short changing myself!!


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

ive got freakishly long arms so i have to watch it. I go down to where my arms hit parralel, same with chest press


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## DB (Oct 31, 2003)

Touch my shoulders with the dumbell

anything else is a half rep, just like squats, past parallel or don't bother


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## BLUTOS (Mar 5, 2005)

With dumbbells I wait till discs hit my delts then press again but I stop when me elbows are just above my eye level then lower.

Military press If I am doing close grip I lock out, if wide grip I keep tension same as when Bradford pressing. I lower the bar to the position it would be in on a push press, you know when you take the bar out the rack and walk back and it just sits a bit before you press, so throat level for me.


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

I take the barbel to about the middle of my face. It doesn't feel good on my shoulders to go lower and I can't see it would benefit me to go lower.


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## paddyrr3 (Oct 15, 2010)

i like to go low with a nice pause, dumbells touch shoulders and barbell touches upper chest, though i make sure i only slightly touch and not rest the weight. Ive never had any shoulder problems and this seems to work for me.


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## NovemberDelta (Apr 17, 2011)

DB said:


> Touch my shoulders with the dumbell
> 
> anything else is a half rep, just like squats, past parallel or don't bother


Mate, don't get me wrong here, I hate seeing half squats in the gym, but from a bodybuilding point of view would a squat to parallel not grow the muscle? I'm involved in powerlifting so i always break parallel personally, but I don't know that was essential for muscle growth.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

With DB's I lower them to the shoulder with my elbows very low. I avoid full lockout at the top though, missing the uppermost 3-4 inches of ROM - helps keep the emphasis on the delts and reduces triceps in the upper phase of the press. The constant tension delivers a beastly pump though.


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## Geonix (Apr 4, 2011)

Flat bench I always go parallel to nipple, flies much deeper but knowing my limits, incline I go i'd say 30 degree below Parrell, works amazing for my outer pecs. Never have any shoulder problems, most I see in gym always on about it is due to flaring their elbows.


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## scrodder (May 9, 2008)

Nick where do you train?


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

dumbbell plates must touch delts that is starting point .

barbell press bar must touch top of chest area .

why do half a ROM .


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## golfgttdi (Oct 6, 2010)

I always hear do what feels best for your own body not someone elses etc,

If going that low gives serious pain in my shoulders then surely loosing out on an inch or two rom wud still be more benificial to shoulder growth in the long term than getting injured and having banjaxed shoulders for couple months??


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

if anything hurts stop .


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

arosair said:


> I always hear do what feels best for your own body not someone elses etc,
> 
> If going that low gives serious pain in my shoulders then surely loosing out on an inch or two rom wud still be more benificial to shoulder growth in the long term than getting injured and having banjaxed shoulders for couple months??


Yes of course, most important bit of advice is to do what your own body allows with respect of injuries etc.

Best bit of general advice for any pressing exercise though is that the top part of the press close to lockout is where the triceps take most of the load - this is true of bench press variations as well as OH pressing variations, and so by reducing ROM at this end of the rep and maximising it at the other end of the rep you change the emphasis of the exercise slightly, putting less stress on triceps but increase the TUT on the pecs or delts. Never go lower than feels safe though.


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## Tassotti (Feb 27, 2011)




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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

if i came down to touch shoulders with the DB`s my elbows would be at my hips. fcuk that.

i come down to where my elbows drop a couple inches below parralel


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## Wevans2303 (Feb 18, 2010)

With a bar so it's resting on my collar bones, with dumbbells so they touch my shoulders, any other way proves more difficult and I can't do as much weight or reps.


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