# Shoulder press



## Irondan (Nov 23, 2014)

Hi all

I just want to clear something up. I do dumbbell press with the bench at the most upright that it can be, so just about straight up. I have always done it this way, but everyone else seems to the exercise one click down on the bench. You can handle more weight this way as I would think some chest is engaged, but is this proper form?

I am totally neutral I just want to know which way is better.


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## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Either is ok. But most do it not straight up.


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## Irondan (Nov 23, 2014)

How do you do it Protein?


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## UkWardy (Mar 30, 2014)

I do it one click down, straight up feels like my taint is hanging off the front of the bench :lol:


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Irondan said:


> You can handle more weight this way as I would think some chest is engaged, but is this proper form?


My concern would be that the more you lean back the more the exercise is biased towards the front delt, with less lateral and rear delt involvement. I don't lean against anything when doing seated presses (barbell in my case). I'd do them standing if the ceiling in the room I train in wasn't too low / I wasn't too tall!


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Why doesn't there have to be a 'best' way.

For me I can get much more power with a slight decline... mainly due to my overhead flexibility being poor.


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## IGotTekkers (Jun 6, 2012)

Standing barbell press iv found to be far far more effective


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## Jammy Dodger (Nov 2, 2014)

IGotTekkers said:


> Standing barbell press iv found to be far far more effective


Do you use your legs? And do you keep your back straight? Only asking as I'm thinking about moving to this...


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

I do it with the bench straight up.


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## IGotTekkers (Jun 6, 2012)

sammym said:


> Do you use your legs? And do you keep your back straight? Only asking as I'm thinking about moving to this...


It's way better mate trust me, I always did db on a bench before too, it's pony in comparison. Have the bar on a rack at upper chest hight, grip it as hard as you can, keep you posture good with your lats tight to make a solid core then put it up. 5 x 5 followed by lat raises is a destroyer. Only use your legs if you have to to finish


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## Jammy Dodger (Nov 2, 2014)

IGotTekkers said:


> It's way better mate trust me, I always did db on a bench before too, it's pony in comparison. Have the bar on a rack at upper chest hight, grip it as hard as you can, keep you posture good with your lats tight to make a solid core then put it up. 5 x 5 followed by lat raises is a destroyer. Only use your legs if you have to to finish


Donna do that today. Thanks bud.


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## gearchange (Mar 19, 2010)

Back straight and bench straight.But if you want to look strong or use front delts and upper chest you can lean it back a little.


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## Fishheadsoup (Apr 15, 2013)

gearchange said:


> Back straight and bench straight.But if you want to look strong or use front delts and upper chest you can lean it back a little.


This ^^

More muscles are used to stabilize a proper shoulder press to, having it in a slight incline starts to bring other big muscle groups into play, like your pecs. That's why people think there stronger when on an incline, when that's not true, as the chest is now also helping out to a degree.

Always standing for me, tbh standing OH press is my fav exercise of all time


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## elliot438 (Mar 9, 2013)

I'm using standing barbbell press atm, allows you to use full ROM but when I do dumbbells I do them on the highest, no point in throwing your upper chest into it to use more weight IMO, also uses front delts even more which are already overused in all presses


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## Tag (Jun 19, 2013)

I switch back and forth between dumbbells and barbell

I do dumbbells seated, with the bench at 90 degree angle, usually higher reps

Barbell I do standing, strict, reset every rep, prefer lower reps

Either will do the job along with some raises, as long as you're progressing the weight for the next workout when you get your targeted reps


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## Kristina (Apr 12, 2014)

FelonE said:


> I do it with the bench straight up.





gearchange said:


> Back straight and bench straight.But if you want to look strong or use front delts and upper chest you can lean it back a little.


This 100%.

Also, I prefer seated; takes any stress off my back (personally I tend to be 'prone' to lower back ache so I've always preferred it this way).

(If I'm doing OHP (barbell) then of course standing...)


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## bigaldevlin (Jun 5, 2014)

Irondan said:


> Hi all
> 
> I just want to clear something up. I do dumbbell press with the bench at the most upright that it can be, so just about straight up. I have always done it this way, but everyone else seems to the exercise one click down on the bench. You can handle more weight this way as I would think some chest is engaged, but is this proper form?
> 
> I am totally neutral I just want to know which way is better.


youre right doing it completely upright is much more isolated on the front delts (much like doing a lat pull down to the back of tge head rather than to the front) but most people do it lower down (like incline) because its easier to shift bigger weights. helps them train their ego lol though sometimes people do it cause its more comfortable and hurts the shoulder joint less


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## AncientOldBloke (Dec 11, 2014)

I'm glad this thread came up.

I did behind-neck barbeell presses and I got a painfull nagging knot or vein going over bone or cartilage in my back which had to be massaged out by sports physio @£30 per hour

After he fixed it, I did BB mil press and then seated DB at 90 angle and bingo - no more knot.


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## Pinky (Sep 3, 2014)

I prefer standing up straight shoulder press, but occasionally on the inside of my left arm i get a sharp pain go from my elbow up towards my wrist as i push the DB up. It doesnt happen all the time tho :-/ Im not sure if its the angle of how i holding the weight.


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## Stephen9069 (Dec 11, 2013)

I do most of my overhead pressing standing from strict press and log press to one arm dumbell press


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## EpicSquats (Mar 29, 2014)

I do my s press with the bench like this due to not having shoulder flexibility. Will this stilll work the shoulders enough?


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## biggestdog2007 (Apr 7, 2010)

Try doing them sitting on a flat bench with no back support. Far superior exercise.


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## saxondale (Nov 11, 2012)

bigaldevlin said:


> cause its more comfortable and hurts the shoulder joint less


incline is how I do them, for this reason


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

I only ever do standing OHP, when going heavy you can use the legs to do a push press to get a couple of extra reps out, much better exercise.


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## theBEAST1990 (Aug 4, 2012)

Bench straight up. I've got really good over head flexibility so my traps do majority of the work, allowing me to handle more weight. Due to my traps lifting more weight then my tiny Delts could.


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