whats the best way to do dumbell shoulder presses??

Bajwa_99 · 30-Jan-06, 10:19 PM

I've been stuck on the same 50 lb dumbell weight for quite a while now and I think it might be because of the way I position my hands before I used to keep my palms facing forward but at a kind of angle, now I face them towards each other, how do you guys do it?? palm forward or facing towards each other, most people at the gym do it facing forward but on the max ot website it says to have the palms facing each other, do the muscles get hit harder that way?? or does it even make a difference?

4STRINGS · 30-Jan-06, 10:49 PM

ive always been doing it with the palms facing forward.

and recently, instead of just bring the arms down to a 90 degree angle at the elbows...ive been dropping them lower till the dumbell grazes the shoulder itself. a much more potent stretch and shoulder activation IMO.

fitricise · 30-Jan-06, 10:52 PM

I start with palms in facing my face and twist them around on the way to the top, and vice versa on the way down.

Maxgain · 31-Jan-06, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4STRINGS

and recently, instead of just bring the arms down to a 90 degree angle at the elbows...ive been dropping them lower till the dumbell grazes the shoulder itself. a much more potent stretch and shoulder activation IMO.

You are hitting the joint now and asking for trouble. you feel a better stretch because you are putting a dangerous stress on your shoulders

**threenorns** · 31-Jan-06, 01:47 PM

i change the hand position, depending on what i feel like doing. each has benefits. i bring them down so that if i were holding a barbell, the bar would be going right through my ears - no lower. it's slightly below parallel, but not so low that it's dangerous.

4STRINGS · 31-Jan-06, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threenorns

i bring them down so that if i were holding a barbell, the bar would be going right through my ears - no lower. it's slightly below parallel, but not so low that it's dangerous.

well said.

thats just about as low as i bring it. you cant bring it any lower with dumbells or it will hit your shoulder.

ACEHOLE · 31-Jan-06, 06:05 PM

I use both grips

palms in for lighter weight

you should work on your tempo and rep ranges to increase your poundage

**Firehawk** · 02-Feb-06, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxgain

You are hitting the joint now and asking for trouble. you feel a better stretch because you are putting a dangerous stress on your shoulders

I agree 100% with this. Don't bring the weight down any further than the bridge of your nose dude. Forehead is even better though. Keep the delts moving the weight, not your joints.

If you're stuck at 50lb DB's, then change the exercise. By continuously plugging at the same exercise you're not goign to get much further without some type of change.

Go to barbell presses for 2-3 weeks.

**threenorns** · 02-Feb-06, 08:10 AM

or try arnold presses - very good all around exercise.

luke.w · 02-Feb-06, 09:05 AM

interesting about how you perform presses, about not going all the way down, and your reasons why (I did think that you brought the weight to the chest on your seated presses firehawk), as I always have and always will bring the bar,dumbells,log, what have you down to the chest.

for disscussion sake, (I have no argument about it) (I'd just like to see this being disscussed) as for this reasoning of being dangerous, is it anymore dangerous, or more dangerous to "STOP" a heavy load halfway/3/4 whatever on the shoulder joint, kinda like only going halfway down while doing squats?

**Firehawk** · 02-Feb-06, 10:03 AM

I took the advice from the powerlifters at my gym on this one. From experiencing the movement with the shoulder presses, it definitely "hurts" in my joints when i bring it down too low. I don't get the same thing when i squat deep. The two joints are not the same. They don't act the same, not the same type. Might have something to do with it.

When you do presses with the log dont' you use leg drive to get it off your chest?

luke.w · 02-Feb-06, 10:16 AM

[quote=Firehawk
When you do presses with the log dont' you use leg drive to get it off your chest?[/QUOTE]

sometimes yes sometimes no, if I do strict barbell presses for reps (no legs) I bring the bar down to the chest and press again (I keep my elbows in front, not out to the sides) (that could be the differance, most people probily keep the elbows out) same situation with the bench press I guess (I'm inexperianced in benching)

luke.w · 02-Feb-06, 10:45 AM

there is also the question of flexibilty if you don't have much flexibilty in the shoulders this I'm sure can make the shoulder hurt. the flexibilty can be improved in the shoulder.

**threenorns** · 02-Feb-06, 10:45 AM

firehawk's right - the shoulder joint is designed to directly bear and hold a load, while the knee joint is designed more to transfer the load in passing. when you go all the way down in a squat, the load shifts from quads to hamstrings and glutes. when you go all the way down with a shoulder press, the delts and tendons are fully stretched out with nothing else to take the load - a bad place to start pulling to bring them back up.

Bajwa_99 · 02-Feb-06, 11:28 AM

o ok but one more thing at the top of the movement, do you fully extend your arms or almost halfway??