Guillotine Press

[alexanderberg]

I've been playing around with my training a bit and looking into different exercises. I've never really wanted to experiment with the guillotine press as excessive flaring of the elbows put the shoulder girdle in a vulnerable position, but I've read people's experiences and talked to guys from my gym about this exercises, and it's been a key exercise in regards to their chest hypertrophy. I decided to look into it further, and as many of you know, it was popularized by the late Vince Gironda who called it the neck press. In terms of electromyography, this exercise surpassed all other movements in a study by far in terms of peak activation, notably in the upper chest (inb4 studies don't mean anything).

What are you guys' and gals' thoughts on and experiences with this exercise?


For unawares: the guillotine press is essentially a flat barbell bench press where your upper arms are perpendicular to your torso.

[fnares]

I feel the most stimulation in the upper chest with the guillotine press. I had to take a short break from it though because I found that my left pec/tricep was doing most of the pushing.

Overall it's a great exercise! Best upper chest exercise that I've ever done.

[alexanderberg]

I feel the most stimulation in the upper chest with the guillotine press.

That's what I've heard from a lot of people, as well. A guy from my gym says that he can't feel his upper chest on incline presses, but that this exercise really hits his upper chest.

Where do you usually lower the bar to? Collarbone, neck, upper chest?

[chroneos]

Kind of a sketchy exercise to do without a spotter, smith machine might be slightly safer. I've always stuck with incline presses for upper chest and it's been fine for me.

I've never tried this, but I saw a stoppani article talking about how the reverse grip bb incline press activates the upper chest more than traditional incline presses.

[alexanderberg]

I've never tried this, but I saw a stoppani article talking about how the reverse grip bb incline press activates the upper chest more than traditional incline presses.

I've read that study, as well. It seems as if the upper chest is activated more when wrists are externally rotated, kind of like low-to-high cable crossovers. I've tried that exercise, though, and personally, it feels really uncomfortable and I wouldn't do it on a regular basis.

[fnares]

That's what I've heard from a lot of people, as well. A guy from my gym says that he can't feel his upper chest on incline presses, but that this exercise really hits his upper chest.

Where do you usually lower the bar to? Collarbone, neck, upper chest?

I bring the bar down to right around my adams apple and my upper chest feels the BURN!

[alexanderberg]

Bump

[ironwill2008]

Guillotine Press

Not an exercise for noobs or even intermediates to mess with. IMO, not safe unless done with an experienced and attentive spotter at the ready. There are many other safer alternatives.


I also realize that by posting this, now every noob reading this will try them.

[alexanderberg]

Not an exercise for noobs or even intermediates to mess with. IMO, not safe unless done with an experienced and attentive spotter at the ready. There are many other safer alternatives.

Unsafe due to its decapitating properties or? What about shoulder strain, do you experience any pain when doing this?

I also realize that by posting this, now every noob reading this will try them.

Reverse psychology ftw

[Xuaxace]

I do them as my staple. Loads are about 25% lower than my normal PL flat bench.

It is definitely not a movement to lift for weights, just a movement for the stretch and contraction of the upper chest massively.

As a movement, I do not teach it to my friends often because from experience, they always over do it too quick and end up with a nagging shoulder and quit or are disharted by the lower weights. You have to take a lot of time with it to build up safely, do the appropriate Rotator cuff stretches necessary to perform it etc.

I do agree with Ironwill that it is definitely for people that know what they are doing and understand the mechanics of the movement completely.

[ironwill2008]

Unsafe due to its decapitating properties or? What about shoulder strain, do you experience any pain when doing this?

Unsafe both for the risks of a crushed windpipe as well as RC injury from the flared elbow position required to have the bar that high up on the body. There's just no good reason to put one's self at such risk for no additional benefit over simply doing Incline Presses either with a spotter, or in a power rack or a Smith or HammerStrength machine.

[ZoranM]

I like overflaring my elbows on flat DB press. Elbows are almost in line with my ears.

Once you get a hold of it, the most awesome upper and inner upper chest exercise.

[Retoaded]

hurts my RC just reading about it...

[alexanderberg]

I do them as my staple. Loads are about 25% lower than my normal PL flat bench.

Would you say that is has been a key contributor to your chest growth?

[Xuaxace]

Would you say that is has been a key contributor to your chest growth?

no because I have only started doing them a few months ago, but I have never felt upper chest doms like that, i feel it on every rep compared with any other movement, including incline.

Point is, the movement is perfect for upper chest growth, that is why I switched to it, there is no other way around it. Whether you can perform it properly to get the benefits, that is another thing.


P.s I have a nagging shoulder injury and I am able to do them properly on my own. I bring the bar to my clavicle (point where my arms are completely flared out) but not to the throad because then I have to externally rotator my arms and that is stupid for no benefit. I have more problems performing incline dumbbell press in my shoulder than guilliotine because it is much easier to control the movement of the bar compared to the DB, so it is not as unsafe for the RC as people think, when you know what you doing that is

[vryan]

Why not just do incline DBs/ incline press?

[Xuaxace]

Why not just do incline DBs/ incline press?

because guilliotine is superior for targetting the chest, yo.

[oldballs]

I would like to see some proof that there is an increased risk of injury. If your RC feels like it is in a compromised position it would be foolish to do it, but that has to do with individual body mechanics and would be true for any exercise.

As far as dangers of crushing your neck, Many exercises are dangerous. Why do you never hear people cry out when someone is talkig about skull crushers? If you drop the bar it lands on your HEAD!

[john345789]

why try reinventing the wheel???

[napa1m]

Why not just do incline DBs/ incline press?

Why not do all three of them? And when you re done do some incline dumbell flyes and call it upperchestday

Lol just kidding, I tried this once this once though, my upper chest was super sore for days and I rarely even get sore anymore