Thread: The standing military press...

Place your feet at shoulder width or wider. You don't want to be doing the splits, but you want a good support base. Touching your legs together isn't going to provide that. Just do some progressively heavier warmup sets. You will get the feel for a comfortable stance.

Your grip should be the same as if you were doing them seated. I usually put my pinkies on the rings. Sometimes I will go a tad wider and put my middle fingers on the rings. This largely depends on how broad your shoulders are, but I would just go with shoulder width or a little wider; whatever is comfortable for you.

I'm not sure how much weight you should use. Just start with a warmup with the bar, and add 20-30 pounds at a time. Bang out like 2-3 repetitions at each weight. You will know when you're in your target rep range zone most likely.

Jesus christ did I suck at this shit!

I started out with the bar to get a feel. Then up to 10lbs, then 25lbs on each side. I felt like I was using my lower back. I tried not to, but it seemed that with the bar so close to my face, I put my head back a little, thus my back was called into action...at least I think thats why. I didnt pull my head back too much, for I wanted to kepp it aligned with my spine.

Anyway, I went up to 135lbs. Seemed ok, I did it 8 times. Then 155lbs. FUCK NO. Dont knwo where my strength or coordination went. I rested 2min after the 135lb one too. I did it 3 times, and one of the times I felt like I was going to drop it behind me. I was all wobbly and such, so I went back down to 135 and did that set two more times. But 135lbs was jerking now too.

I suppose I am going to have to go even lower to get my balance up.

After the military press, I did seated dumbell press. I started with 70s in case I was fatigued, but no I wasnt. So I went up to 80, then 90. Once I hit 90 I started to fatigue.

I did lateral raises next. Both arms, @ 30 for 10. Then 35 for 10 (badly). So I just did another with the 35s. Not sure If I completed it though.

Then I did 3 sets of upright rows. I like these workouts, but if I go heavy, I have pain in some places of the shoulder.

I didnt do shrugs cuz they were still sore from doing back.

Anyway, Id say todays workout sucked. Any suggestions?

Try doing standing Military with a reversed grip. It is a variation of the Arnold press and gives the shoulders a great burn.

Just stick with 135 for the time being until you can make sure you maintain a more upright position. Also, try standing DB presses. Those are even more deadly.

just wandering, when you do the press should you drive the bar up by bending your knees and bouncing a little bit with each rep? or should you only be moving your arms and keeping your body still?

Originally Posted by devildog88

Try doing standing Military with a reversed grip. It is a variation of the Arnold press and gives the shoulders a great burn.

Sounds like a great exercise to tear up your joints.

seems ok with 40 lbs plus the bar whatever that weighs, try that. if i have a hard time with a movement i just assume i'm going to have to take it easy till the muscles i'm calling on get the feel of what i'm asking them to do and i like doing things i suck at at first cuz maybe i'm training muscles that have been sleeping all my life.

Originally Posted by zapedy

just wandering, when you do the press should you drive the bar up by bending your knees and bouncing a little bit with each rep? or should you only be moving your arms and keeping your body still?

Keep your body still. What you're talking about is called a push press.

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

Sounds like a great exercise to tear up your joints.

A reverse grip is actually easier on the shoulders.

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

Sounds like a great exercise to tear up your joints.

A reverse grip is actually easier on the shoulders.

You should use a belt on standing military press.

Also dont lock out at the top

Originally Posted by chris2489

You should use a belt on standing military press.

Or you could just strengthen your lower back instead. That works too.

Originally Posted by chris2489

Also dont lock out at the top

why not? It solidifies the lift. It places the weight directly overhead, directly over your center of gravity which keeps the weight from being out to far in front and placing to much pressure on your lumbar spine. It completes the ROM and fully engages the traps by elevating the scaplua.

Originally Posted by P-funk

why not? It solidifies the lift. It places the weight directly overhead, directly over your center of gravity which keeps the weight from being out to far in front and placing to much pressure on your lumbar spine. It completes the ROM and fully engages the traps by elevating the scaplua.

I have to agree with th boss on this. I know they talk a lot on not locking out on certain exercises. My problem is that if I don't lock out, I feel like I missing the best part of the lift. It's that lockout that gives me the chanhe to hold for a paulse that says to me just one more rep PT, you can get it.

Tough

Ya know, when I went down with the bar to my chest, I kinda hit the center of my chest and it has been aching for days. Not the first time I did this, but jesus! I hardly hit it too, just kinda tapped it. Seemed to be enough. Thank god its almsot gone today.

Originally Posted by AKIRA

Ya know, when I went down with the bar to my chest, I kinda hit the center of my chest and it has been aching for days. Not the first time I did this, but jesus! I hardly hit it too, just kinda tapped it. Seemed to be enough. Thank god its almsot gone today.

Man, be patient with this exercise. Funk is right, man, lock out. Cowpimp is also on with the fact that you may need a bit of lower back work. This should not be hurting your back. If you control the weight on the way down, you wont hurt your chest.
I do this movement two ways, as a standing PUSH press, or as a seated military. Either way, its a great strength/mass movment. In my opinion, however, drop the upright rows if there is pain. Though many have success with this movement, I tend to hear nothing but complaints about shoulder pain. Not worth it to me, in my opinion.

Point: be patient. cowpimp said to gradually up the weight, do so. Your dumbbell presses are awesome, but why go that heavy if you are going to hit the military presses first? On delt day, I give my militarys all I have, so that all I need for dumbbell presses, if i do them at all, are two or three sets of dumbbell presses with 60 lbs. I do my militarys seated with anywhere from 180 to 225, so there is no need for 90 lb dumbbell presses.

Originally Posted by * Legion *

Man, be patient with this exercise. Funk is right, man, lock out. Cowpimp is also on with the fact that you may need a bit of lower back work. This should not be hurting your back. If you control the weight on the way down, you wont hurt your chest.
I do this movement two ways, as a standing PUSH press, or as a seated military. Either way, its a great strength/mass movment. In my opinion, however, drop the upright rows if there is pain. Though many have success with this movement, I tend to hear nothing but complaints about shoulder pain. Not worth it to me, in my opinion.

Point: be patient. cowpimp said to gradually up the weight, do so. Your dumbbell presses are awesome, but why go that heavy if you are going to hit the military presses first? On delt day, I give my militarys all I have, so that all I need for dumbbell presses, if i do them at all, are two or three sets of dumbbell presses with 60 lbs. I do my militarys seated with anywhere from 180 to 225, so there is no need for 90 lb dumbbell presses.

Hell, just hitting the jerks on my o-lifts has put size on my upper chest and delts, and I think alot of it comes from flexing the chest out to form a bridge
to hold the bar on

Originally Posted by The Monkey Man

Hell, just hitting the jerks on my o-lifts has put size on my upper chest and delts, and I think alot of it comes from flexing the chest out to form a bridge
to hold the bar on

The only thing that really hurts on me from doing these is my wrists. I tried wearing braces, but it really matters little. From what I have read, this is something that one gets used to.

Originally Posted by AKIRA

Jesus christ did I suck at this shit!

I started out with the bar to get a feel. Then up to 10lbs, then 25lbs on each side. I felt like I was using my lower back. I tried not to, but it seemed that with the bar so close to my face, I put my head back a little, thus my back was called into action...at least I think thats why. I didnt pull my head back too much, for I wanted to kepp it aligned with my spine.

Anyway, I went up to 135lbs. Seemed ok, I did it 8 times. Then 155lbs. FUCK NO. Dont knwo where my strength or coordination went. I rested 2min after the 135lb one too. I did it 3 times, and one of the times I felt like I was going to drop it behind me. I was all wobbly and such, so I went back down to 135 and did that set two more times. But 135lbs was jerking now too.

I suppose I am going to have to go even lower to get my balance up.

After the military press, I did seated dumbell press. I started with 70s in case I was fatigued, but no I wasnt. So I went up to 80, then 90. Once I hit 90 I started to fatigue.

I did lateral raises next. Both arms, @ 30 for 10. Then 35 for 10 (badly). So I just did another with the 35s. Not sure If I completed it though.

Then I did 3 sets of upright rows. I like these workouts, but if I go heavy, I have pain in some places of the shoulder.

I didnt do shrugs cuz they were still sore from doing back.

Anyway, Id say todays workout sucked. Any suggestions?

you cant mil press 155 but u can bench 315? *sniff*sniff* i smell bs

Originally Posted by chris mason

A reverse grip is actually easier on the shoulders.

For barbells no way!
For dumbells it sounds ok

Originally Posted by morningtime00

you cant mil press 155 but u can bench 315? *sniff*sniff* i smell bs

I guess he's learning what REAL WORLD strength is all about -

(I can't bench 315)

Originally Posted by morningtime00

you cant mil press 155 but u can bench 315? *sniff*sniff* i smell bs

If he has never really done military presses, then he will probably rapidly gain strength in this exercise. His CNS is stupid, it needs to "learn" and "practice" the exercise to get good at it.

I usually start with 200lbs x10, then work my way up to 410lbs!

Originally Posted by * Legion *

Man, be patient with this exercise. Funk is right, man, lock out. Cowpimp is also on with the fact that you may need a bit of lower back work. This should not be hurting your back. If you control the weight on the way down, you wont hurt your chest.
I do this movement two ways, as a standing PUSH press, or as a seated military. Either way, its a great strength/mass movment. In my opinion, however, drop the upright rows if there is pain. Though many have success with this movement, I tend to hear nothing but complaints about shoulder pain. Not worth it to me, in my opinion.

Point: be patient. cowpimp said to gradually up the weight, do so. Your dumbbell presses are awesome, but why go that heavy if you are going to hit the military presses first? On delt day, I give my militarys all I have, so that all I need for dumbbell presses, if i do them at all, are two or three sets of dumbbell presses with 60 lbs. I do my militarys seated with anywhere from 180 to 225, so there is no need for 90 lb dumbbell presses.

It's possible that his "back" problem may be weak abs. No?

Originally Posted by chris mason

A reverse grip is actually easier on the shoulders.

Post whore.

Originally Posted by morningtime00

you cant mil press 155 but u can bench 315? *sniff*sniff* i smell bs

Are you out of your mind? Why the hell do you think I posted this topic then?

It is because of the oddness that light weight was uncomfortable for someone like me, genius.