handstand Pushups.....good for gaining size?

[435bench]

ive been doing overhead presses for a while now, and was willing to substitute handstand pushups for them, but im not sure if i will gain any size with a bodyweight exercise, yes it is very difficult for me to do them though, but does that mean if i do it thati will gain size?


thanks a lot

[Kiknskreem]

They offer no advantage over barbell and dumbell lifts in terms of size development.

[435bench]

No, they offer no advantage for size gains.

what would you recommend as the best exercise to add size to medial delts?

[killatiger]

Military presses, behind the neck presses, and dumbell lateral raises (any alternative and variation), high rows can make your medials more full, farmers walks have a little advantage, and pretty much any shoulder exercise will hit it in some way even as a stabilizer but mostly the first three I mentioned.

[Kiknskreem]

what would you recommend as the best exercise to add size to medial delts?

Depending upon your level of development either presses alone or presses in conjunction with one or two carefully selected isolation exercises... lateral raises would probably be the natural place to start in that respect.

[SluttySamantha]

OP, I know people with big shoulders and (surprisingly triceps) who just do hand stand pushups. Think about it. The lowest amount of weight you are pressing is your own body weight. Some people think of hand stand push ups as the shoulder equivalent to pull ups for lats.

The only problem with them is the awkwardness of getting yourself into position and balancing while pressing your weight up and down. Also the blood rushing to your head issue. If you can get passed those things then go for it. Of course remember to still do lateral exercises to work the medial and the posterior heads for complete development.

[Kiknskreem]

Think about it. The lowest amount of weight you are pressing is your own body weight.

Doing a handstand push-up is not nearly equivelant to doing a bodyweight overhead press. Especially if they are being done against a wall or some-such.

[tonester]

I would throw them in for the sake of shoulder/scapulothoracic stability and mobility. That area can always use a little of both.

[SluttySamantha]

Doing a handstand push-up is not nearly equivelant to doing a bodyweight overhead press. Especially if they are being done against a wall or some-such.

That may be true but I have seen guys who can over head press a sh*t load of weight but still struggle to do a couple hand stand pushups. How can you account for this?

[Kiknskreem]

That may be true but I have seen guys who can over head press a sh*t load of weight but still struggle to do a couple hand stand pushups. How can you account for this?

The limiting factor in handstand pushups is not limit strength, but primarily balance and technical competence.

At my strongest in the OH lifts, I could strict press my bodyweight. A shoulder injury kept me from doing OH presses for many months and the first time I tried some handstand pushups (against a wall) I was easily banging out sets of 3-5... and I certainly wasn't able to OH press my BW at that point.

[SluttySamantha]

The limiting factor in handstand pushups is not limit strength, but primarily balance and technical competence.

At my strongest in the OH lifts, I could strict press my bodyweight. A shoulder injury kept me from doing OH presses for many months and the first time I tried some handstand pushups (against a wall) I was easily banging out sets of 3-5... and I certainly wasn't able to OH press my BW at that point.

Yep! It is tough to balance and do them correctly. That's a big flaw in them. I do them every once in a while as a change of pace but they are not a staple of my program. If your traveling. In a hotel room. they're useful as a no equipment shoulder workout. That's the way I look at it.

[Quarter Nelson]

I never liked them because my big head limits range of motion.

[ultragymrat]

ive been doing overhead presses for a while now, and was willing to substitute handstand pushups for them, but im not sure if i will gain any size with a bodyweight exercise, yes it is very difficult for me to do them though, but does that mean if i do it thati will gain size?
...

I am an ex-gymnast and love to throw them in once in a while for something different, but if you don't have the experience and strength to be able to bang out sets of twelve or so, you are probably going to be setting yourself up for an injury.
(Of course you can gain muscle size with bodyweight exercises, look at olympic gymnasts, but for MAX size weight lifting is best. )