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Barbell Avoid overhead presses?? says RDLFitness

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Demosthenes

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Too dangerous? Can you experts out there please comment. Would floor (bench) press and pull ups work all the same muscles well or nearly as well?? Thanks, D
 
@Demosthenes

As for the press, my suggestion/progression is simple:

Phase A
- get "overhead ready" (FMS)
- do your get-ups

Phase B
- learn how to press correctly
- practice

Phase C
- press
- don't neglect your pullups
- get stronger

Phase D
- enjoy being strong
- tell the "experts" hello
 
I'm no expert but pressing overhead makes me happy.

Get-ups completely fixed a minor shoulder problem I had.
 
That RDL fitness site recommends avoiding quite a long list of things, including floor presses (although he approves of the bench press) and kettlebells.

Pavel M speaks sense.
 
I don't know about that article but I have it on expert authority that you should never perform any of these movements as they are proven unsafe by experts: deadlift, squat, overhead press, swing, getup, farmers carry or running. And all the martial arts are crap. All of them.
 
Here's the best answer I've found on overhead pressing. The answer is "it depends", and it depends on two things A) genetics, how narrow is the gap in whatever those bones are in your shoulder B) shoulder mobility. Does the shoulder even have the capability to move correctly. Mobility can be fixed, but genetics cant.

I think the best thing someone can do for their overhead pressing is mobility via get ups and joint rotations. BTW bench pressing has also doomed many shoulders too.Also, if your OHP'ing or benching you better be doing some type of row too
 
Here's a nice video on barbell press instruction and why presses don't impinge the soft tissues of your shoulder:

 
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@Bill Been , interesting video. Thanks for that. The discussion at the end of it about shrugging to un-impinge makes me wonder about kettlebell press (or get-up, or snatch) where the weight is overhead but we're trying to keep the shoulder packed, not shrug it up. Do you think the same description applies, and if so, could there be impingement in that case?
 
Anna, there are smart and successful coaches who advocate for each and both are valid imo. For a lifter with a barbell, shifting the bar back and shrugging up shifts the support to the muscles of the back, as with a weightlifter doing a heavy snatch or C&J. This would probably be a bit harder to do with just one arm, packing the shoulder on the lat as we are taught works just as well for kb movements.
 
Thanks, Aris! That makes sense.
 
It is not as cut and dry as Rippetoe's anatomy lesson describes. As Steve always points out: "YMMV"... and, as mentioned above, your birth-given anatomical structure plays a role here as well.
 
No expert here, just someone who used to do a lot of benching "back in the day" but I find for me overhead pressing is easier on my 51 year old shoulders than benching. Overheads with barbells are still slightly uncomfortable for me, but Dumbbells and kettlebells work just fine.

I guess we are all made differently.
 
Overheads with barbells are still slightly uncomfortable for me, but Dumbbells and kettlebells work just fine.
It's much easier to find a groove that's shoulder-friendly when using one arm only, or both arms separately.

-S-
 
Benching is often a source of shoulder irritation since the most mechanically advantageous - and probably most intuitive - position for the bar to be in at the bottom is directly above the GH. This eliminates a moment arm between the elbow and the shoulder, but it also makes it much more likely you'll trap soft tissue between the humeral head and the bony processes of the scapula. Add in subsequent movement in this compressed state and you've got a recipe for something akin to a sawing action. Dropping the elbows down toward your hip bones and bringing the bar down to a position near the bottom of your sternum results in a less efficient, non-vertical bar path and a moment arm you'd rather not have in an ideal world, but creates much more room in the shoulder for the soft tissues to exist in. Competitive lifters may intentionally eschew doing this in order to put a few more pounds on the bar, but for the purposes of general strength training this nod toward safety, health, and longevity makes good sense.

All that said, John - it's great that you've found a way to get over head safely and comfortably!
 
That guy tells you to avoid all kinds of things. I've enjoyed doing many of the forbidden exercises and never had a problem. On the other hand, two out of his three recommended exercises give me trouble so I avoid them.

The thing about articles that tell you which exercises to avoid is that pretty much any exercise you can think of will be on one of the lists.
 
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