What other exercise for the shoulders exist besides military presses?

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 1/22/2011 6:30am

Originally Posted by Like_A_Boss

The only thing i do for shoulders is clean and press with a bar and/or sandbag, that will get you some serious shoulders, but most beneficial is that you work alot of other muscle groups at the same time, and def increases overall strength.

I enjoy Clean and Press as a supplemental exercise occasionally. The only issue with it, as with all exercises in which form and explosiveness are a requisite, is that reps generally have to be lower to avoid form retardation. Also, the variables created by making it virtually a whole body exercise means it is more difficult to track progress under some programs such as Wendler's 5/3/1.

**OZZ** · Posted On: 1/22/2011 2:44pm

I do mainly dumbbell presses for shoulders..but I think the lateral dumbbell raises work better, personally. Especially if you bring 'em down nice and slow.
But I sincerely hate doing them for some reason.

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 1/22/2011 4:19pm

Originally Posted by OZZ

I do mainly dumbbell presses for shoulders..but I think the lateral dumbbell raises work better, personally. Especially if you bring 'em down nice and slow.
But I sincerely hate doing them for some reason.

Work better for what? Strength development or aesthetically-geared hypertrophy?

**OZZ** · Posted On: 1/22/2011 10:03pm

Originally Posted by MMAMickey

Work better for what? Strength development or aesthetically-geared hypertrophy?

The latter..I guess there was an assumption on my part that physique enhancement was the focus here.

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 1/23/2011 2:23am

Originally Posted by OZZ

The latter..I guess there was an assumption on my part that physique enhancement was the focus here.

I agree on the latter, at least as far as my trapezius muscles go. I've been doing them with a resistance band for supplemental reasons and I've noticed a substantial difference.

**FKG** · Posted On: 1/25/2011 4:37am

Originally Posted by Emevas

Really, I've never heard of an increased rate of injury with overhead pressing, and I doubt there is any data to support it. Injury results from improper form and programming.

Considering my age and poor health (in need of knee replacements, blood and kidney problems, etc) I stay away from heavier weights. Hand and angle weights are all I use now.

**BldyKnuckles89** · Posted On: 2/05/2011 12:16pm

When doing shoulder exercises be sure to work on your rear deltoid muscle...

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 2/05/2011 2:27pm

Originally Posted by BldyKnuckles89

When doing shoulder exercises be sure to work on your rear deltoid muscle...

I feel the need to elaborate on this.

Imbalance in the shoulders caused by not working the whole shoulder is begging for injury. It's the reason I now have to do a **** ton of supplemental work after a nasty rotator cuff tear.

Balance is always the way forward.

**BldyKnuckles89** · Posted On: 2/05/2011 5:13pm

Well said Mickey, I just couldn't get the words out to explain it I guess

**blue-dragon** · Posted On: 2/06/2011 4:09pm

You can do rotator cuff exercises and exercises on the scapular plane, gain strength in your shoulders without lifting your arms over your head, and decrease risk for an injury. Be careful with vertical pressing, you don't want an injury like I just got, rotator cuff tendonitis.