Priortizing Overhead press over Bench Press and why your shoulder hurts sometimes

[heavykettlebell]

lets me start this post by stating this: I'm not saying don't do bench press or overhead press is better than bench press.

Over the course of your lifting "career" it's pretty safe to say that most people have benched more than they've done standing overhead military press. In my current programing for myself, I've decided to make a larger emphasis on getting a big over head shoulder press instead of a big bench, temporarily and here's why.

I love to bench. It's my favorite exercise. However, if you've ever had to stop making progress on the bench (or stop all together) you will relate to my situation and previous experiences.

When I get on a "good run" of progress on the bench press, gradually, I'll start to have inklings of shoulder pain. Typically this is shoulder impingement or a close form of it. If you don't know why you start to get shoulder pain when you bench more often it's because it exacerbates shoulder impingement. Look at the attachment:


It attaches to the front of the humerus. Notice the direction of the fibers. They run horizontal.

As this muscle gets tight and over developed it will make the upper arm internally rotate. When your arm has a tendency to internally rotate it will shrink the space where the head of the humerus inserts up where the collarbone and scapula meet (this is also known as the ac joint). One way to understand why your shoulder hurts on and off all you have to do is this simple test.

If you drop your arms to your sides and relax your shoulder, observe the front of your knuckles. Look at which way your palms are facing.
Are they facing directly behind you?
or are they at at angle towards your pockets/ thighs?
or are your knuckles facing your away from your sides with your palms facing your body?

Are they facing directly behind you?


or are they at at angle towards your pockets/ thighs?


or are your knuckles facing your away from your sides with your palms facing your body?


With arms relaxed to your sides, let them relax where ever they normally would. Pull your shoulder back, stick your chest out and pull your shoulders down. What happens to your hands and upper arm? You'll notice that your hands will gravitate to looking more like the third example I posted with the hands. This externally rotates the shoulder and arms which opens these space in front of the shoulder joint.

The better you can keep that space open during all your movements, the less likely you'll have shoulder problems. Of course, if your shoulder is already irritated, it will help, but there will be pain because it's already inflamed.

Okay, so why overhead press? Working on your overhead press will help you improve this position, but only if you work on your mobility. More specifically, thoracic extension.



In the program for myself, I'm putting an emphasis on thoracic extension mobility. Here's a video on how I prepped myself for a overhead press PR.

the video is uploading and taking forever. check back later. but if you need some stretches, look up kelly starret on youtube for thoracic extension.

Getting good with overhead press will not only teach you to be strong in the shoulder in triceps, it will work on your flexibility for your lats and long head of your triceps. Having better overhead flexibility will reduce your chances of injury on bigger pressing movements. There's more I'd like to write about the scapula and how having good thoracic extension will help prevent shoulder problems in the bench press and overhead press, but I have a client and I'm out of time.

I hope I help somebody out there!

[SuffolkPunch]

I'd say shrugs and bb rows are the best thing to counterbalance bench work. But I do like overhead pressing too and think it's neglected by many. If anything, it's another front delt dominant exercise and needs some laterals or behind neck work to engage medial delts more.

I got a PR last week - 220lb behind neck push press. I tried for a second but couldn't lock it out.

[BenD4Me]

out of the 3 hand positions you mentioned, what does each one tell you about what sort of muscle imbalance you have?

[heavykettlebell]

out of the 3 hand positions you mentioned, what does each one tell you about what sort of muscle imbalance you have?

the more the palms are turned in, the tighter the chest, lats, subscapularis, biceps

muscles that are stretched are teres minor, rhomboids

[riffdex]

I have a bit of shoulder impingement (its mostly in my right traps) but seems to be inflamed by OHP. Bench doesnt seem to strain it.

[Jasonk282]

go a good amount of pulling to offset your pushing and your shoulders will love you.