Thread: Let's clear up the Military Press...

I love the Military Press. One of my favourite lifts.

Always need to be standing, each rep starts at your chest and ends at your chest, with no bouncing or body english to get the bar up there.

The reason it's called a military press is that the technique is very precise and strict. Its not a shoulder press or push press. Its this strict form that makes it harder than other exercises, and if its harder is going to yield more results.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

I love the Military Press. One of my favourite lifts.

Always need to be standing, each rep starts at your chest and ends at your chest, with no bouncing or body english to get the bar up there.

The reason it's called a military press is that the technique is very precise and strict. Its not a shoulder press or push press. Its this strict form that makes it harder than other exercises, and if its harder is going to yield more results.

Agreed.

I use to shy away from Military Presses because they made me feel incredibly weak. After 8 months of lifting I was DB shoulder pressing 60 lbs a side for 6 or 7 reps but I couldn't military press 85 lbs on a barbell for 2 proper reps!

It's a whole different lift than most overhead presses. It takes dedication, and full-body strength. I think anyone with little or no experience squatting and deadlifting would have a hell of a time getting through a real Military Press.

I love them now. I like the all-out intensity of BB Millies, but I find I get a better lift and surprisingly with more weight with DBs, though. Regardless -- awesome lift when done properly.

Tips to a better military press -

Grip the bar as hard as you can. Not only will you'll apply force better to the bar, but you make your arms and shoulders tighter. It also helps keep your wrists neutral and not "bent back". I'll get more into tightness next.

Contract your glutes and quads and press your hips forward. This action makes your body tight. Less shaking and wobbling means less wasted force. The tighter you are, the more force you can direct onto the bar efficiently. You don't want to be shaking at the hips and knees.

Plan your breathing strategically. Breathing in and out significantly during the concentric portion of the lift can cause you to lose your tightness, this makes you weaker. Be conscious of your breathing because it is very easy to get light headed or "forget to breath" during this lift. No one wants to pass out with a bar overhead. It is a good idea to take some deep slow belly breaths before picking up the bar, as this will oxygenate you well. Plus, it is very hard to get any sort of proper breathing during the movement, especially when the weight gets very heavy.

This was great information. I had contemplated trying these out, and now that I know the true form to use, I will be sure to get the most out of it.

Originally Posted by Phineas

The point of a Military Press is to strictly press overhead a barbell or dumbbells. The standing position requires full-body coordination/balance and strength.

Wouldnt it be stricter sitting down? You are strictly emphasizing the deltoids and not using your full body.

I guess it really depends what you are going for in your training. Great post though Phin.

Originally Posted by BC Lifter

Wouldnt it be stricter sitting down? You are strictly emphasizing the deltoids and not using your full body.

I guess it really depends what you are going for in your training. Great post though Phin.

I always see people cheating on the MP. Never have not seen it. Might be better to suggest seated pressing for people that are new instead of getting anal over semantics.

Originally Posted by Hoglander

I always see people cheating on the MP. Never have not seen it. Might be better to suggest seated pressing for people that are new instead of getting anal over semantics.

Fuck that shit! If you MP over 135lbs, and a lot of people do, that weight can really injury you. The last thing I want to do is be seated under it if I lose control for whatever reason. I would much rather be standing in case I have to chunk it.

I can totally see that when you are new and sitting on a chair in you kitchen by the boiling water while doing them behind your head.

: )

So in that 'proper' technique youtube clip of kara bohigian, she seems to be bending her back a lot after a few reps. If we are going to be arching our backs no matter how hard we try, at what point would it start becoming unsafe to arch the back? How bad is the effect of arching the back in this lift?

Originally Posted by KelJu

Fuck that shit! If you MP over 135lbs, and a lot of people do, that weight can really injury you. The last thing I want to do is be seated under it if I lose control for whatever reason. I would much rather be standing in case I have to chunk it.

Dude you only MP 25 pounds any way so if you were seated n droped it u wouldnt hurt yourself anyway poof

Ive done injuries cleaning the BB off the floor when it's been heavy. Better off un-racking it off the squat rack IMO. . . but a classic shoulder mass builder, I like pre-fatiguing my medial delts with light-mod weight lat raises . . . or, for a CNS destroyer, try super-setting squats with mil. presses . . fkg A!

Military press pro's compared to shoulder press? someone please list them.

Originally Posted by KelJu

Fuck that shit! If you MP over 135lbs, and a lot of people do, that weight can really injury you. The last thing I want to do is be seated under it if I lose control for whatever reason. I would much rather be standing in case I have to chunk it.

I've noticed while doing military press that it feels much safer than bench press. If you can't get the weight up, you can securely bring it back to your shoulders without fear of collapsing. And if you CAN get it up, isn't it very unlikely that your locked-out arms would fail with that weight, when they would not fail on the concentric portion of the lift?

I think the most common injury for this exercise would be on the spine due to arching the back, which is why it's important to keep your whole body tight like another poster said.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

The reason it's called a military press is that the technique is very precise and strict.

Trivia: It's called the military press because it was an exercise done with a rifle during military training.

Originally Posted by BC Lifter

Wouldnt it be stricter sitting down? You are strictly emphasizing the deltoids and not using your full body.

I guess it really depends what you are going for in your training. Great post though Phin.

It would be stricter on the delts and tris, but the point is it would then be shoulder press. Military Press isn't necessarily just for delt strength. Anterior delts are the primary muscle, but the lift is more for full-body strength/coordination.

Originally Posted by KelJu

Fuck that shit! If you MP over 135lbs, and a lot of people do, that weight can really injury you. The last thing I want to do is be seated under it if I lose control for whatever reason. I would much rather be standing in case I have to chunk it.

Call it blasphemy, but I do BB shoulder press in the squat rack. I use the squat rack in any potentially dangerous lift using a BB where the safety racks can help me in case of emergency. With DBs if problems arise just drop them. At least in the rack the safety bars give you peace of mind when pressing overhead.

Besides, I find shoulder press stations to be awkwardly designed. The rack for the BB is way behind your shoulders, so to unrack it you have to put your arms way behind your head. Same with incline/decline bench press stations. In the squat rack you can get up the bench in relation to the BB rack to suit your proportions.

Originally Posted by DOMS

Trivia: It's called the military press because it was an exercise done with a rifle during military training.

And, knowing is half the battle!

Originally Posted by Captn'stabbin

Military press pro's compared to shoulder press? someone please list them.

More stabilization involved

Originally Posted by Phineas

And, knowing is half the battle!

Violence it the other half.

Originally Posted by qwerty001

So in that 'proper' technique youtube clip of kara bohigian, she seems to be bending her back a lot after a few reps. If we are going to be arching our backs no matter how hard we try, at what point would it start becoming unsafe to arch the back? How bad is the effect of arching the back in this lift?

The back is going to be arched. You can't do heavy pressing without an arched back, at least you shouldn't. It's the bouncing around and leaning that I don't agree with. But hell its Kara so she can do what she wants

love the military press, nice pumps