Build huge shoulders without unnecessary pain!

Do you have shoulder problems but want to stay active? Pressure exercises don't necessarily mean pain. You don't have to push directly overhead.

Two traditional mistakes accompany shoulder training.

1. Any forward lunge will only load the anterior deltoid muscles (not).
2. Training the middle head of the shoulders requires a wide elbow position or lifting them straight up (also a no).

Your front and middle deltoid heads work at different intensities together in all compression exercises. You can also effectively exercise the middle head during front-tilt push-ups. This is essential if wide angles and overhead pressures are giving you problems.

There are three quality overhead pressing exercises that will keep you in the game if your primary goal is the gym. For athletes who just don't want to be knocked out of the game, we've added a couple of kneeling variations that will improve shoulder strength and endurance.

1. Viking press

This pressing exercise will give you a tough workout, even with significant shoulder damage.

• Adjust the stops to shoulder height.
• Set the outermost stop one hole higher.
• Load small discs on the far ends of both axles from the inside of the stops. This will prevent the axles from slipping under pressure.
• Load the weights on the nearer ends of both axles and push both at the same time. The axles will move upwards and slightly forward.
• Grip the axles with your wrists and elbows in one vertical axis and the shoulder blades pressed down and back. Allow the blades to rotate upwards as you apply pressure.
• On each negative repetition, push the shoulder blades back down and back. Contract the abdomen and avoid hyperextending the lower back.

2. Landmine press two-handed

Insert one end of the axle into the landmine attachment or wedge it into a corner of the room. This exercise will allow you to sine load your shoulders and exercise your chest at the same time.

• Grasp the axis symmetrically with both hands.
• Push your palms together and upwards. Engage shoulders, triceps and biceps.
• Allow the shoulder blades to rotate freely upwards, but push them together at the bottom. The elbows will tend to flare, so consciously hold them close to your body along with pulling the shoulder blades down.
• Tighten the abs and resist excessive flexion in the back. This indicates that you don't have good control of your mid-body.

3. Arnold press

Sometimes, the only way to get rid of the pain is to start with a push in the middle of your chest and pull your elbows up over your head. Arnold presses respect this movement pattern.

• Start with the weights at chest level and your palms together. The shoulder blades will begin to retract and rotate upward during the push.
• The elbows will rotate outwards. It will be 180° throughout the entire execution.
• Keep a steady forward motion as the shoulders rotate.
• Alternate hands, always one pushing and one resting.
• If you have overhead mobility issues, practice this exercise seated and with a slight negative tilt. This should go without pain.

4. Kneeling push-ups on one leg

It doesn't hurt the average exerciser to work on hip momentum. This position is ideal for this.

Landmine Viking single leg squat press

Landmine press one-handed kneeling on one leg

• Keep the rib cage down, engage the middle of the body and move one hip while the other hip holds the balance.
• Start with a two-handed variation and a neutral grip. A Viking extender or something similar works best.
• Squeeze the handle hard and push into the extended elbows. Try to reach as high as you can. The landmine attachment works well here because of the angle of the axis. I'm not going to get into any big physics, but this exercise works fantastic.
• The next step is to push one-handed. The torso will need to resist rotation a bit here, which will engage the center of the body.
• However, the same principles apply. Squeeze your palms together, elbows extended at the top, and reach as high as you can. Here you can also lean forward a little, which will help you reach even further. It's easy to see in the videos.
• But don't lean too much. Just enough to get the pressure arm into an overhead position. No more than a few centimetres.

5. Kneeling pressures

You can push with one or both hands. Both options work great.

Landmine Viking press in kneeling position

Landmine press one-handed kneeling

• Hip extension is essential for the practitioner in terms of proper body function and health. Hip extension, as seen for example at the top of a deadlift, is not something one does every day.
• Therefore, the kneeling position is absolutely invaluable for hip and lower back health. It's a good push exercise, plus it practices a crucial functional movement pattern.
• Your torso and glutes will have to work hard to keep your balance. The key is to clench your glutes forcefully. Imagine you want to squish a walnut between your butt cheeks. Does that sound silly? Yes, it does. But it's effective.
• Watch out for the bending of the lower back and the pushing out of the chest. Keep your chest down and keep your mid-body tucked in as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. You'll be pushing from such a firm base.
• The last point is your pressing movement. Start with both hands and work your way up to one over time. Keep pushing hard and keep pushing upwards. At the top, bend your elbows and try to reach as high as you can. Your lower back and hips should resemble a statue in their immobility.

Source: www.t-nation.com - How to Build Big Shoulders, Minus The Pain
Author: Andrew Coates, Matthew Ibrahim
Translated by Jaromír Uhlíř