Author Topic: Seated behind the neck presses feel great, why are they "bad for the shoulder"?  (Read 71157 times)

jon cole

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 2454
behind the neck press seems more easy and naturl for me than bench press.

the motion is smooth and in a straight line and i'm very powerful.
asstropin

Coach is Back!

  • Competitors
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 59464
  • It’s All Bullshit
whatever he is doing it is  a behind the neck press

It's not a regular part of his training.

haider

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 11978
  • Team Batman Squats
Not a myth and squats are usually bad for knees if you stay above parallel and cardio only "kills" gains for the "natural" bodybuilder.
what do u do instead of cardio then?
follow the arrows

Coach is Back!

  • Competitors
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 59464
  • It’s All Bullshit
what do u do instead of cardio then?

Intervals.

tonymctones

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26520
I think they effect some more than others, they definitely didnt do my shoulders any good thats for sure.

There are plenty of exercises that are easier on the shoulders that imho will give you just as good results.

Rock bottom dips are what helped build my shoulders as a kid, I would use these over bnp tbh

dj181

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 26018
  • Dog sees 🐿️
2 of the widest fellas i ever saw NEVER did any kind of over-head pressing, but both were on a good amount of gear

they got their wide delts from benches and rows, or so they said

purenaturalstrength

  • Time Out
  • Getbig IV
  • *
  • Posts: 3975
Kevin liked them



Some people thought he had a good physique... lol

but kevin has very wide shoulders and the people in this thread have claimed it is only bad for narrow shouldered people

anyway i get all your peoples points


i'm going to keep doing them for a while see what happens

BigCyp

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 10897
They feel good because you haven't moved the pin off 1 yet

purenaturalstrength

  • Time Out
  • Getbig IV
  • *
  • Posts: 3975
They feel good because you haven't moved the pin off 1 yet
i read this several times i dont understand it


my english is not good enough to understand slang idioms and such

Rammstein

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 678


BigCyp

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 10897
i read this several times i dont understand it


my english is not good enough to understand slang idioms and such

Don't worry I was just saying you're a gaylord

Zach Trowbridge

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 1732
Usually it has to do with the length-tension relationship between the front and back of the torso - excessively tight pecs and lats and internal rotators, weak rhomboids and mid/lower traps and external rotators. 

It also doesn't help that a lot of guys use way too much weight and get sloppy as hell with their form.

Sadovnik

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 83
I got rid of smith machine started to do free weight behind the neck and my shoulders got just bigger. I think it's about that balance what the muscles has to deal with. I shortened the movement - just touch the back side of the head and up but not all the way. It feels very good and safe.

Donny

  • Competitors II
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 15659
  • getbig Zen Master
posted before Guy does some great videos...

da_vinci

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 5289
  • Cry me a river
posted before Guy does some great videos...


It has a lot to do with your structure and flexibility. One of the most comfortable exercieses for me, I do full rom and the weight is crazy heavy (225lbs on a good day. Well currently only 200lb..). Been doing it for years and years, not a single ache.

jpm101

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 2996
More slide rule text book training advice, never taking into the consideration that all men are not created equal  Might as well have  a dozen model skeletons  for display.   Also not considering the muscle inserts and bone length for each of us. This gentleman is selling a product, himself and his web site.

The Press Behind The Neck, like upright rows, is not meant for everyone, as are the full squat and DL  Some body mechanics, and bone structure, are just not adaptable to any of these movements. These two movements, the PBN and up-rights, are two of my favorite exercises and have been doing them for years.

With the Press Behind The Neck, most guys are just not flexible enough at first. Suggest a training dowel (or exercise bar) at first....just to get the feel of the movement and to warm up the area. This is a learning exercise, so add weight slowly until getting use to these.  Also just lower the bar to the around the base of the neck or upper traps. No need going any lower. Don't try to advance the weight too fast or get stuck doing more weight than you can handle. Don't lock out at the top, if wanting to use the time under tension (TUT) BB'ing method. Never get in the habit of going to failure in any of the above exercises. Can cause more problems, in the long run, than they are worth.

If after a few weeks this exercise does not feel right for you, than drop it and on to something else. Same can be said for up right rows.  

Good Luck.
F

Yev33

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 927
I would like to bring in another perspective to this topic.  While I certaintly agree that having proper shoulder mobility is a must if you want to perform the behind the neck press, and that some people are naturally better built for it. I do think  a lot of people lose the mobility they once had due to years of traditional BB split routines.

I know that this was the case for me. And it wasn't just my shoulder mobility. When you are constantly in the state of soreness in one body part or another, your mobility decreases temporarily and if you don't regularly make sure to correct this it becomes more permanent.  How many guys can barely put a bar on their backs after chest day? How many of them end up having to grip it wider and wider as the result? This is happening all over the body to a certain degree.

I am 32 years old now and I am stronger than I have ever been, also the aches and pains I developed in my late twenties went away. I worked on my mobility and still do to some extent,  but in my opinion the most dramatic thing was going away from split routines. 

Donny

  • Competitors II
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 15659
  • getbig Zen Master
More slide rule text book training advice, never taking into the consideration that all men are not created equal  Might as well have  a dozen model skeletons  for display.   Also not considering the muscle inserts and bone length for each of us. This gentleman is selling a product, himself and his web site.

The Press Behind The Neck, like upright rows, is not meant for everyone, as are the full squat and DL  Some body mechanics, and bone structure, are just not adaptable to any of these movements. These two movements, the PBN and up-rights, are two of my favorite exercises and have been doing them for years.

With the Press Behind The Neck, most guys are just not flexible enough at first. Suggest a training dowel (or exercise bar) at first....just to get the feel of the movement and to warm up the area. This is a learning exercise, so add weight slowly until getting use to these.  Also just lower the bar to the around the base of the neck or upper traps. No need going any lower. Don't try to advance the weight too fast or get stuck doing more weight than you can handle. Don't lock out at the top, if wanting to use the time under tension (TUT) BB'ing method. Never get in the habit of going to failure in any of the above exercises. Can cause more problems, in the long run, than they are worth.

If after a few weeks this exercise does not feel right for you, than drop it and on to something else. Same can be said for up right rows.  

Good Luck.
what a surprise jpm knows better than a Professional. TUT you mention a lot but you know what the problem is? range of motion and with this in mind i see people doing Press behind the neck with a pitifully  small movement which is not worth much if anything. DB press hits the Delts centrally and safely and a variety of hand positions can be used, indeed great if you have shoulder issues. Front BB press with full range and "Arnold" press are much better..in my opinion. Gironda did a variation pressing front and then back just clearing the Head in the movement.

chaos

  • Moderator
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 57383
  • Ron "There is no freedom of speech here" Avidan
Gironda did a variation pressing front and then back just clearing the Head in the movement.
Great for a pump but you won't get any stronger. And 99.9% of people doing any type of db or front bb press lean back much too far and turn it into an incline press.
Liar!!!!Filt!!!!

pestosterone

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 1648
I do Bradford presses to warm up with the bar only before heavy OHP seated r standing never used more than a 45 lb bar behind my head. To the chin and back up in the front for me if holding a barbell

Donny

  • Competitors II
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 15659
  • getbig Zen Master
Great for a pump but you won't get any stronger. And 99.9% of people doing any type of db or front bb press lean back much too far and turn it into an incline press.
never seen anyone lean back 30-45 degrees to call it an incline press. If you look at a Military press and itīs form and your head position then sorry but i do not agree.

Donny

  • Competitors II
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 15659
  • getbig Zen Master
Might also include this exercise. I have done this myself and it really hits delts very well. I also think itīs much more beneficial for most sports. Rugby, Judo.. Football and most throwing sports. The press Behind the neck might hit the Posterior(trained well in Back training) Head slightly more but the difference is marginal.

Donny

  • Competitors II
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 15659
  • getbig Zen Master
This video actually shows the Head position very well in an overhead press... regardless of people talking about Military press/overhead press. Seated or standing itīs the same. Please letīs not talk about the Heels together thing in the military press and why itīs called it. Fact is if standing you need a stable base.. i like one foot forward and one back myself. most stable position i know standing. If done seated I use one notch down from vertical. totally vertical i tend to have an unstable lower back.

jpm101

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 2996
Glad to help donny and correct his misunderstanding of shoulder training. Or any other body part training for that matter. Almost feel it's my duty to help the little chubby guy the best I can. And if he wants to borrow somethings I taught him as his own..than God Bless him.

Not having the personal hands on experience of never, ever, being in a actual real gym, donny owns much to YouTube and GB as learning aids. I can only wish him the best in his hopefully understanding of a basic workout...after all these years and thousands of his daily post on GB.

And a Good Luck to all of his efforts.
F