Make sure you feel comfortable pressing weight overhead before attempting the single-arm dumbbell push press. In this single arm push press variation, once you have the weight overhead, you will bring the weight down slowly, overloading the eccentric range of motion, creating greater muscular damage. The Z-press is an overhead press but performed sitting on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Hell no. If that’s the case, make the transition between each weight fast as you want to treat these exercises as a superset rather than having an extended break in between. Avoid the Overhead Press. The landmine press is also a great shoulder press alternative for those who struggle with overhead mobility. The benefit is that you can correct any muscular or strength imbalances between each side. Skip classic front raises and lateral raises and do this exercise instead. It can also improve balance, coordination, and core strength. Hi! Slowly lower back down to starting position ensuring you donât come down too far, which will result in your shoulder going into internal rotation. The muscles used in the overhead press are the: The bottom and mid-range of the overhead press have the greatest shoulder activation. This exercise is a variation of the dumbbell shoulder press that was made popular by bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger. As this exercise is performed in a standing position, your abs and lower body are required to work too, to provide a stable base for your lift. Have an appropriately loaded barbell set up in a landmine attachment or in a corner. In the past, the most common overhead exercise was the military press. On this blog we share all the things we wish we knew when getting started. This variation requires superior motor control, balance, and coordination. You can change the range of motion of the overhead press by only focusing on the bottom or top end of the range of motion. You can follow the machine’s fixed bar path, and don’t need to worry about stabilizing the weight as much overhead. As well, if you lean back while overhead pressing, you’ll activate the muscle fibers of the upper pec during this range of motion too. Since overhead press gives you such a wide range of motion, you can truly target the shoulders. Complete all repetitions on one side, then change arms and legs to do the other side. However, since the Z-press is performed sitting, you take away any ability to ‘cheat’ the movement. This commonly performed standing âpushâ exercise works all three of your shoulder heads as your shoulders play the role of prime mover to press the bar overhead. Complete all the bottoms-up presses on one side before switching sides. At no point in the exercise should there be no tension on your working shoulder. Use the military press if you want to build your strength by lifting more overall weight. If youâre starting with your left arm, you should be kneeling on your left knee with your right foot flat on the floor. Looking for some unique weights you can take anywhere to do this exercise? From here, push the dumbbells up overhead whilst simultaneously twisting them 180-degrees to finish in and overhead press position (with your palms facing away from you). Lower back down over a few seconds to starting position. Far too many people have slaved to hit big numbers with the barbell military pressâ100 pounds, bodyweight, 200 pounds, you name itâand seen their weak links erupt into full-blown injuries along the way. The changes to the grip can put lifters in a more natural position. 4. the guy who invented it figured out a way to pick it up and shove it over his head While this may not seem plausible, just ask a dozen Olympic lifters if theyâre strong⦠Return to starting position by lowering the dumbbells whilst twisting them, to reach starting position with a supinated grip again. Now i don't exactly know how good this exercise is, but due to a form of localised osteoarthiritis, I can hear my bones grating together if I even attempt the motion. Your elbow should be bent by your side and your palm facing towards you. The landmine press is an overhead press replacement that allows you to train your right and left side independently. From here, push the kettlebell upwards overhead until your arm is fully extended, but with the load still on your shoulder rather than your traps. More like this: 9 Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises to Grow Your Shoulders at Home. It will test your strength, as well as your mobility. Previous Military Press. Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 each side. I was checking out the 5x5 program, and it look interesting, except for the fact that one of the core exercises is a overhead press. Be sure to not let your elbows come all the way down to the point that your shoulders begin to rotate inwards. Neither the military press or dumbbell press is better than the other for activating your shoulder muscles. The difference here is that the hardest part is at the top of the movement. You may also be interested in my article on Should Powerlifters Do Incline Bench Press? While you can perform the dumbbell shoulder press standing, the seated variation allows you to support your back, preventing you from excessive lumbar arching. It can feel fun to push overhead. Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12 each side. The machine overhead press is a more basic version of the overhead press, which doesn’t require as much motor control. Continue the movement to press the weights overhead until your arms are straight and your biceps are close to your ears. Press the weights up and, in a controlled manner, rotate the dumbbells until the arms are straight and your palms are facing away from you. When you get hurt while lifting, it can alter your point of view. Anyone who has made direct contact with his or her brain stem on a standing behind-the-neck press (or the chin on a military press) will recognize the benefit of the trap bar overhead press. This post may use affiliate links. The dumbbell raise combo is an alternative to the overhead press that doesn’t require you to lift your arms above your shoulders. Mastering this exercise will have you seeing improvements across a range of other exercises, for example, your shoulder press and bench press. However, there are several reasons why you might need an alternative to the overhead press, including you want to isolate one part of your shoulders more than another, you don’t have a barbell available, it causes pain or impingement, or you’re simply looking to add more variation to your workout. Start with the barbell resting in your palm with your elbow bent by your side, and tension on your shoulder. If youâve hit a bit of a wall with your overhead press, give it a rest, test out some of these and come back to it! Some people just aren't built for pressing. This is an advanced exercise, requiring various progressions leading up to the full movement. While you're not getting some of the core benefits a standing overhead press gives you, my shoulder strength and development is fantastic. Because you’re performing the movement using a single arm, not only do you get the benefit of overloading the movement, but you can train each arm independently. Both will activate your front and side delotid, and tricep muscles similarly. Use the dumbbell press if you want to change your grip or train each arm independently. The ball clean and press is a great alternative to teach younger adults and beginners how to properly use the legs and hips to lift a load from the ground, transition into the squat, and stand up. I’m Avi Silverberg and this is the place where my friends and I nerd out about powerlifting technique. You should finish with your arms fully extended, head slightly in front of the barbell, and full tension throughout your body. Safe Alternative: Perform the Overhead Pull-Down exercise in the front of the body. The incline bench press will allow you to train similar muscles to the overhead press, in addition to working the upper pec fibers to a greater extent. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell in one hand. The overhead press is also called the ‘shoulder press’ or ‘military press’. Many lifters prefer holding the dumbbell in a neutral grip (palm facing toward midline of body) rather than a prone grip (palm facing away from you). Half-Kneeling Landmine Press. Stabilizing through your core to keep your torso still and free of rotation, push the barbell away from you until your arm is fully extended. Everyone should be able to strictly press their body weight overhead... or more.Here are five exercises and training tips that will boost your press in 6 weeks, no matter how much you lift or how long you've been stuck at your current plateau.Incorporating even one or two of these into your current routine will boo⦠Place your hands on the floor over shoulder-width apart. In order to perform the bodyweight alternative, place your feet on a bench. Form: Raise one arm at a ⦠Follow ⦠But, for the purposes of finding an effective overhead press alternative, these smaller muscle groups aren’t relevant. The exercise: An isometric workout pitting opposing muscle groups against each other. Good alternative to overhead press? If you have a resistance band, you could also perform a resistance band shoulder press, which would be a more accessible exercise for most people. A good overhead press alternative either mimics a similar movement pattern as the overhead press or engages similar muscle groups, such as the medial delt, anterior delt, or triceps. At first, you may be forced to use a lighter weight than youâd use for seated overhead presses, but once your lower back strengthens through adaptation, youâll be able to lift as much â and likely much more â weight standing as you do when youâre seated. Sometimes using a slightly neutral grip (palms facing each other) can alleviate shoulder pain or feel more comfortable. The top-end range of motion of the overhead press has the greatest tricep activation. The standing barbell shoulder press is an excellent exercise. When using dumbbells, you may need to get a spotter to place the dumbbells in your hands. Instead of the overhead press you could perform: dumbbell shoulder press, Arnold press, landmine press, Z-press, and incline barbell bench press. Learn 13 principles that create more effective powerlifting technique. The following list will detail the best shoulder press alternatives. Studies show that when comparing the dumbbell shoulder press vs Arnold press that the medial deltoid is activated to a greater extent in the Arnold press. A good overhead press alternative either mimics a similar movement pattern as the overhead press or engages similar muscle groups, such as the medial delt, anterior delt, or triceps. Also, feel free to play around with a grip that allows you to lift more weight (prone, neutral, or semi-neutral). The standard overhead press has some closely related variations which I didnât discuss, like the seated version and the dumbbell version. If you’re a powerlifter, you should also read my article on How Do Powerlifters Train Shoulders? Essentially, youâre going to do a lateral raise with your arms at a 45-degree angle. Would the real overhead press please stand up? This exercise follows the same upper body movement as the seated Arnold press. People would use that exercise to try to sculpt their deltoids. The single-arm dumbbell push press is an advanced replacement to the shoulder press that allows you to overload a single arm. Once this movement pattern is engrained and feels natural, move to hold dumbbells in each hand. Many of the overhead press alternatives discussed in this article are exercises that you can also perform in conjunction with a solid upper body workout. Like the above-mentioned exercise, this single arm version does require stabilizing from your core as you perform it in a half-kneeling position. Before trying the Z-press with a barbell, practice the movement using dumbbells. The Z-press is one of those exercises that looks so easy to perform. This bodyweight exercise makes a great alternative to the shoulder press, though so different in many ways. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. The handstand push-up is a bodyweight substitute to the overhead press. Press until your arms are fully extended, then lower yourself back down to starting position by bending your elbows until your head gently touches the floor. You will start with a front dumbbell raise and then move directly into a lateral dumbbell raise. medial deltoid is activated to a greater extent, 7 Benefits of The Zercher Squat (Plus, 3 Drawbacks), How To Squat If You Have Long Legs (10 Tips), Anterior Deltoid (front part of the shoulder), Medial Deltoid (side part of the shoulder), Lay flat on the bench with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, Before unracking, retract and depress your shoulder blades, Lift the bar from the rack and bring the barbell to your chest, Lightly touch your chest and drive the barbell up and back over your face, Sit on a bench with the backrest vertical, Hold dumbbells in each hand with the nose of the dumbbells on your thighs, Kick each dumbbell up by driving your knees to your chest, Start with the dumbbells just outside your shoulders, Press your hands overhead your head and lock your elbows, Return the dumbbells to just below your ears and repeat, Set up one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment, Kneel in front of the barbell in a split stance, Grip the nose of the barbell with your hand in front of your shoulder, Keeping your core tight, drive the barbell in front of you with the single-arm, At the top range of motion, the hand should be level with the top of your head, Return the barbell to your shoulder and repeat, Set up a barbell on a rack in a low position where you can unrack it while sitting, Sit straight up with your torso vertical and your legs straight, Unrack the barbell and drive the barbell overhead while keeping your abs tight, As the weight passes your face, slightly drive your head forward underneath the barbell, The arms should lock with the barbell directly over the crown of your head, Return the barbell to the start position and repeat, Press your arms against your chest with your palms facing you, Swing your arms laterally, and at the same time turn your palms away from you, When the dumbbells are just outside your shoulders drive your arms overhead, Return your arms to the start position and rotate your palms back toward you, Maneuver yourself into the shoulder press machine, Place your hands comfortably on the grips, Drive your arms overhead, ensuring you press through the full range, In a controlled fashion, return your hands to the start position and repeat, Start standing with a dumbbell in your hand just outside your shoulders, Dip your knees into a quarter squat and then drive your body upwards explosively, Use the power from your lower body to lift the dumbbell overhead, Once your arm is locked, slowly return it to your shoulders with a count of 5-seconds, With a slight bend in the elbow lift your arms in front of you until your arms are parallel, Perform the prescribed number of reps with this variation, Once completed, switch to lateral raises by lifting your arms to the side until parallel, Perform the prescribed number of reps and then rest, Kick our feet up so you’re in a handstand position against a wall, Lower yourself toward the ground as far as possible. The main benefits that the overhead press provides are increased shoulder, core and spinal stability, lean mass gains, muscular symmetry⦠and consequently, enhanced performance across a range of other exercises. The push press is an explosive movement which, consequently, allows you to lift 10-20% more than in your standard overhead press. Create a âVâ shape with your body by lowering your head in between your extended arms, flattening your back and sending your hips upwards. Barbell Bench Press 3 x 5 Lat Pull Down Machine 3 x 6-10 Alternating Sets A1/2: 2 x 6- 10 (This means: You do a Set of A1 > 1 minute rest > Set of A2 > 2 minute rest) A1: Overhead Shoulder Press A2: Seated Cable Row Barbell Squat 3 x 8 â 12 From here perform an inverted press by pushing your body weight away from the floor in a semi-vertical movement. Laying Barbell/Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: Bodyweight Triceps Extensions: Tricep Extensions will isolate the triceps as you work them. Any and all words on TheWorkoutDigest.com are not represented by CrossFit, Inc. Sitemap | Earnings Disclaimer | Terms & Privacy Policy. You can change the angle of your body, which will put your torso more or less perpendicular to the floor. You can perform both these movements back to back with reps between 10-15. I love this exercise for its ability to target all three of the main shoulder muscles. If starting with your left arm, you should have your right leg forward and left knee on the ground. Some lifters will need a shoulder press alternative that doesn’t raise their arms over their head. Todayâs fitness mindset is evolving. The purpose of doing a Z-press is to isolate your shoulders to a greater extent. But therein lies the problem. I would only do the Z-Press if you already have superior overhead mobility and have mastered the basics of the overhead press. Either way, I hope you learned something new and can put some of these to test soon! Read on to find out which exercises are geared around the same idea and can be done as well as, or in place of the overhead shoulder press. If you overhead press with a lack of overhead mobility, it will feel uncomfortable and can cause you to lean back excessively, putting your back at risk. In this article, Iâm going to be sharing with you some shoulder press alternatives that generate the same or similar results to the much-loved overhead press. Today, more and more people are doing exercises that require them to lift or hold weights overhead. This compound exercise makes a great alternative to the shoulder press, albeit a single-sided one. Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart with the barbell racked in a front rack position. You should finish with your arms at 90% extension, feeling the load on your shoulders primarily. Below you will find a list of the 7 best alternative exercises to the shoulder press, as well as instructions on how to do them and the suggested amount of repetitions for each. I do seated overhead press because of low ceilings. 4. anterior delt becomes more activated the higher the bench angle. But first, letâs pick apart the shoulder press to better understand which exercises make good alternatives! You can change the equipment you use to overhead press by swapping the barbell for either dumbbells, machines, or even your own bodyweight. It doesn’t matter which one you choose so long as the weight is primarily being lifted straight overhead. Bring the bar back into a front rack position before commencing your next repetition. If your Power Rack has no outside uprights, or you have no Power Rack, pull the bar from the floor on your shoulders (Power Clean it). Keep your core engaged throughout this movement to avoid leaning back and shifting the load onto your upper chest too much for the press. Youâre partially upside down for starters! Setup. This list is, in my opinion, the best of the best alternatives to the overhead press that exist. On a personal level, I’ve been dedicating myself to the world of powerlifting for the past 15 years, having both competed and coached at the highest level. Whatever the reason, this dumbbell raise combo is an excellent way to target your front and side deltoid muscles. Have a dumbbell in each hand with your elbows bent by your sides and your palms facing towards you. This is a great alternative for people with shoulder issues because they donât have to press directly overhead. However, if, like me, you define strength as the ability to navigate your own physical body through this world with power and poise, go with the handstand push-up. The dumbbell shoulder press is an alternative to overhead press that allows lifters to modify their grip. This single-arm bottoms up press creates strength whilst developing your shoulder joint stability. The overhead press with a barbell is a foundational compound movement that comes with a ton of benefits. Spend minimal time at the bottom before pushing back up into your next repetition. However, it is a compound push exercise that blasts your shoulders and upper body whilst utilizing your core and legs for stability. You should have no bend in your knees. Sit on a bench set at just over 90-degrees. It recruits the same muscles and follows a similar, slow and controlled movement pattern. He has been a contributor for several health and fitness publications, including WealthyGorilla.com, MuscleAndBrawn.com. Band Zercher Squats. He has been lifting weights & writing about fitness for over 5 years. Itâs not one of the big three but itâs a great auxiliary workout to the bench press. 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