Is the behind the neck press dangerous?

[Boost]

I have started doing BNP using a barbell. I like the feeling of the movement, however the only negative is that my wrists are sore occasionaly after doing them. Should i drop this movement? is it dangerous for the shoulders. I like the movement better than a regular front press.

[dov]

I would suggest not doing BNP because it usually leads to shldr probs.. I recommend front bar presses and DB presses

[Bluto]

some obviously can do them without problems but i myself i dont do them i dont see a real good reason for it

[pumpster]

BNP and behind the neck pulldowns/chins can potentially cause shoulder probs or none at all, plus the effect on the muscles is a little different and sometimes more intense. As i've said before, if you do partial ROMs avoiding the bottom, and do them under control where it doesn't hurt and there's no bouncing, they can be worthwhile.

Using a Smith machine, DBs or a machine can also help avoid problems for some, and can be more effective.

[wes]

Never bothered me,been doing them for years.

I agree with Pumpster,lower bar to ear lobe level,and press just short of lockout if you have shoulder problems or to avoid them in the future if you are prone to them.

[pumpster]

Never bothered me,been doing them for years.

I agree with Pumpster,lower bar to ear lobe level,and press just short of lockout if you have shoulder problems or to avoid them in the future if you are prone to them.

Bingo. Forget the generalizations.

[candidizzle]

if i do behind the neck military presses i always do them on the smith machine..

[pumpster]

if i do behind the neck military presses i always do them on the smith machine..

ya sometimes the smith's actually better for some exercises like pbn and close-grip benches, IMO.

[candidizzle]

ya sometimes the smith's actually better for some exercises like pbn and close-grip benches, IMO.

whats pbn?

yeah close grip bench on yhe mith its easier to fully fatigue the muscle and hit that true failure..

[chaos]

whats pbn?

Presses Behind Neck...........

[JackCheze]

had to have my neck surgically repaired from a ruptured disc... I say don't do them

[Bluto]

only pro ive ever seen do them is levrone. most others do them to the front

[Montague]

I have started doing BNP using a barbell. I like the feeling of the movement, however the only negative is that my wrists are sore occasionaly after doing them. Should i drop this movement? is it dangerous for the shoulders. I like the movement better than a regular front press.

The few times I’ve done them were at the end of my shoulder routine when everything is loose and thoroughly warmed up. Also, by the end you don’t need as much weight on that bar as you would at the beginning.

I touch the bar to my neck at the bottom portion, but do NOT push to full extension.

As for sore wrists, try making minor changes to your grip to find something more comfortable – or just wrap your wrists.

[slaveboy1980]

only pro ive ever seen do them is levrone. most others do them to the front

nasser did them behind his head. you should know this.

[jpm101]

PBN's seem to get a bad rap because they are usually approached wrong. BB'ers need to warm up the area and take time to work on the required  flexability of this exercise. Most BB'ers will tend to have a too tight shoulder girdle anyway. Take a light bar (or even a broom/mop handle) and just do warm-up/stretches of this exercise. 20 to 30 reps.Than, using a regular exercises bar, add weight slowly. Rushing the weight (using too much, to soon) can cause injury. But this can be said for most exercises anyway. Straight arm pullovers and just hanging from a overhear bar can also help to give better flexability to the shoulder region.

 Holding the grip too wide can allow extra stress on the shoulder area. Try for a grip that forms about a 90 degree angle between the forearms and upper arm at the elbows. Even too close a grip may cause problems with some folks. Lower the bar to, and touch, the upper traps only. The more you do the PBN, from workout to workout, the more flexabily is gained until this exercise can feel quite natural for you. Some will lower the bar to the mid-trap range without any trouble at all. The PBN can allow for very heavy weight to be used after a while. Though pure BB'ers will require a weight with-in the moderate range. And they really do not want to lockout each rep. PL'ers will use heavy PBN's to improve their benches. Actually PBN's can strengthen the whole shoulder girdle against injury if approached correctly.

The few Pro's I have seen train, and some of the top BB'ers, usually include the PBN. But they focus on just doing middle range reps at a very fast pace. So it's more like 1/4 to 1/3 reps, never coming close to a top lockout or lower than the middle of the back of the head. Keeping the TUT at it's most intense. Good Luck.

[wes]

The few times I’ve done them were at the end of my shoulder routine when everything is loose and thoroughly warmed up. Also, by the end you don’t need as much weight on that bar as you would at the beginning.

I touch the bar to my neck at the bottom portion, but do NOT push to full extension.

As for sore wrists, try making minor changes to your grip to find something more comfortable – or just wrap your wrists.

Damn good advice as was jpm`s as usual.

Years ago,most everybody did behind the necks as their main delt exercise.

[Montague]

Damn good advice as was jpm`s as usual.

Years ago,most everybody did behind the necks as their main delt exercise.

Thank you.

I wonder if the reason that behind the neck (and other) type movements get such a bad rap these days is because so many people don’t train as smart as they used to.

I see an ever increasing plethora of new gym goers – most of whom really haven’t a f*cking clue as to what they’re doing.
I was fortunate in that my first gym was mostly made up of very old school guys who knew their stuff. Quite a few of them took me under their wing to various degrees, and I learned from some extremely knowledgeable people.

I realize that not every gym offers that luxury, but still, the information is out there.
Especially with the internet now, quality instruction and info. is amply available.
So what gives?

[wes]

Same here............trained at a local YMCA with experienced powerlifters and bodybuilders.

Most people in gyms these days are clueless,and that`s an understatement.

[MisterMagoo]

Damn good advice as was jpm`s as usual.

Years ago,most everybody did behind the necks as their main delt exercise.

they probably also did them intelligently. it's easy as hell to muff up the form and pow, there goes your shoulders. but done right they're dynamite. i'm loving standing BNPs currently.

[Bluto]

whats the benefit of them? apparantely most pros dont think theyre necessary to include in their routines. surely it cant be because of lack of knowledge on how to do them properly.

[local hero]

all heavy over head pressing is dangerous, bnp is even more so.... my advice to anyone is to do your pressing last in your workout, after laterals, rear delts etc etc

[pumpster]

do your pressing last in your workout, after laterals, rear delts etc etc

Ya, the warmup of the shoulders is better this way, and the weights used aren't as high.

Another thing to watch out for though, is the strain laterals put on the delts, that's no joke either. Can be as bad or worse than that from presses. Delts in general are a complex area that takes alot of pressure from direct exercises.

I'd say that for any delt exercises always make sure there's time taken for good warmups, keep the reps moderate or high not low, and keep the area warm by keeping rests between sets at 1 minute or less and/or by using supersets/trisets.

[Method101]

all weightlifting exercises are dangerous.

[MisterMagoo]

all weightlifting exercises are dangerous.

exactly. there's no such thing as "safe" heavy lifting, only hedging your bets one way or the other. the key is to find your goal, find what has to be done to get there, and assess the risks and then decided whether you wanna go for it.

watch mariusz train. he does behind the neck push presses with 405 for sets of 2. safe? HELL no. but he's not gonna get any better otherwise. you can make it safe-ER, but something can always go wrong and the heavier you go, and the trickier the exercise is, the odds are greater of injury. not to mention every max-out strains the system immensely and increases risk of arterial bursting and aneurysms.

if you want a "safe" activity, try pilates or buy a total gym and keep the incline low. in the weight room, do what doesn't hurt.

[Bluto]

i watch mariusz  all the time. i let him guide me as we're very much alike when it comes to genetics, experience, strength, steroids etc