Behind-the-neck Military Press......What does it work?

[Prime Rib]

I tried doing some today, couldn't actually figure out what this is suppose to do. I felt it MOSTLY in my triceps. What is this lift mainly for? Shoulders? Back?

 

[crew9]

It's good for messing up the shoulders of lots of people, not everyone, and also making me miss a few weeks of my vball season.

 

[gymtime]

It's a shoulder excercise. But injury prone. If you have weak rotators, I'd avoid them.

 

[ANABOLICK1]

I can't fathom how anyone can do those. It's a VERY unnatural movement. IMO, totally unnecessary for developing shoulders.

 

[The Red Dragon]

Behind the neck military press

Target

Deltoid, Anterior
Synergists

Deltoid, Lateral
Supraspinatus
Triceps Brachii
Trapezius, Middle
Trapezius, Lower
Serratus Anterior, Inferior Digitations
Dynamic Stabilizers

Triceps, Long Head
Stabilizers

Trapezius, Upper
Levator Scapulae

VS

Regular military press

Target

Deltoid, Anterior
Synergists

Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
Triceps Brachii
Deltoid, Lateral
Trapezius, Middle
Trapezius, Lower
Serratus Anterior, Inferior Digitations
Dynamic Stabilizers

Triceps, Long Head
Biceps Brachii, Short Head
Stabilizers

Trapezius, Upper
Levator Scapulae


They're similar but not exact, but it's not worth ruining your shoulders. You might as well do regular military press. Plus reg.military helps you build a thick upper chest apparently. Few people are biomechanically designed to handle a behind the neck press. If something feels awkward and unatural I wouldn't bother doing it.

 

[megad]

Just bring them to the top of your chest and push back up. They works great for me at 5x5., been adding 10lbs a week without a problem lately.

 

[gymtime]

Behind the neck military press

Target

Deltoid, Anterior
Synergists

Deltoid, Lateral
Supraspinatus
Triceps Brachii
Trapezius, Middle
Trapezius, Lower
Serratus Anterior, Inferior Digitations
Dynamic Stabilizers

Triceps, Long Head
Stabilizers

Trapezius, Upper
Levator Scapulae

VS

Regular military press

Target

Deltoid, Anterior
Synergists

Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
Triceps Brachii
Deltoid, Lateral
Trapezius, Middle
Trapezius, Lower
Serratus Anterior, Inferior Digitations
Dynamic Stabilizers

Triceps, Long Head
Biceps Brachii, Short Head
Stabilizers

Trapezius, Upper
Levator Scapulae


They're similar but not exact, but it's not worth ruining your shoulders. You might as well do regular military press. Plus reg.military helps you build a thick upper chest apparently. Few people are biomechanically designed to handle a behind the neck press. If something feels awkward and unatural I wouldn't bother doing it.

Agreed. I'll do behind the neck once in a great while for a change up. I've never had shoulder problems and I admit they do feel good to me. However I mostly stick to military with bar or dbs.

 

[The Red Dragon]

Maybe you have well designed shoulders. It feels awkward to me.

 

[Ivan Danko]

It's good for messing up the shoulders of lots of people, not everyone, and also making me miss a few weeks of my vball season.

I think that if done correctly this exercise is not dangerous at all. Although if you have been doing all of your shoulder and chest work in the anterior you will need to start extremely light with these. Also for volleyball i would say these are almost a must becuase of serving and spiking movements. In these you come from the posterior anyway i think by not diong them you are setting yourself up for injury.

 

[gymtime]

Well it's certainly not the most comfortable lift I do. And I never put up a bunch of weight on them. But I do like stretch i get in the front delts.

 

[natedog]

Behind the neck presses are bad bad bad, IMO. Dumbell shoulder presses put your arms in a very similar position, but don't require you to bend your neck forward at the bottom of the movement.

Also for volleyball i would say these are almost a must becuase of serving and spiking movements. In these you come from the posterior anyway i think by not diong them you are setting yourself up for injury.

I couldn't disagree more. All hitting power in volleyball is in front of the body. Watch the best hitters and you'll see that their arm never goes behind their head. Even if it looks like they're swinging from behind, they're just arching their back so they can get more of their abs into it.

If you want weight exercises to help you hit harder, try pullovers (especially machine pullovers), tricep extensions, forearm/wrist curls, and ab work. I won't get into jumping exercises, other than to say that the higher you jump, the further in front of you you can hit (i.e., make contact with) the ball.

 

[JollyRogers]

Behind the neck presses are great, they made my shoulders grow decent, but I stopped using them because they started to make my shoulders hurt bad, they got so bad, I had to stop all shoulder type movements for 3-4 weeks.

Good gains with lots of pains

 

[Dirty Workout]

Just wondering if everyone brings the bar to neck touching or to ear level

Ear level is much safer

I am thinking about ditching them but cant think of anything as good for rear delts

 

[gymtime]

Just wondering if everyone brings the bar to neck touching or to ear level

Ear level is much safer

I am thinking about ditching them but cant think of anything as good for rear delts

Anything below ear level is tempting fate IMO.

Another great rear delt excercise is that thing where you're on a bench, leaning forward, doing db lat raises, going from under your thighs to shoulder level. I forget what they're called exactly.

 

[sk*]

Behind back military press might be dangerous for rotator cuffs, but it is bar none the best shoulder development exercise (specially for taller people).

It's my favorite exercise and feels very natural to me, I don't know how it isn't natural to you guys ... maybe you don't do it as often.

I do it every week, I love it ... my shoulders are my best bodypart because of this exercise alone (and my genetics hehe).

For a while I dropped front military pressed and just did these for 2months and when I went back to front military pressed I put on 50lbs more. It is the best god damn shoulder exercise and I am gonna do it tomorrow in the morning and can't wait!!!

-sk

 

[collegiateLifter]

BTN presses are known for making a lot of huge shoulders but also a lot of fucked up shoulders.

If you do them I suggest you stop part way down, like mid upper ear as per DC

 

[Hannibal]

I couldn't disagree more. All hitting power in volleyball is in front of the body. Watch the best hitters and you'll see that their arm never goes behind their head. Even if it looks like they're swinging from behind, they're just arching their back so they can get more of their abs into it.

I would have to disagree to some extent. Hitting a volleyball is relative to throwing a baseball. And yes it is true that the front part of your body is the primary source of accleration...it is the posterior that is resposible for the deceleration. Your body will not allow you to accelerate faster than you can decelerate...hence your posterior should be stronger. If not...you will have muscle imbalance which can lead to injury....or you will be limiting your potential acceleration ability.

 

[Prime Rib]

Thanks for the heads up guys. I'll DEFINATELY be staying away from this lift if it's bad for cuffs. I tore my left cuff real bad about 4 yrs back, and it's never been the same since....

Just trying to find some good lifts to built up around my shoulders, and upper back area....


Josh

 

[sk*]

BTN presses are known for making a lot of huge shoulders but also a lot of fucked up shoulders.

If you do them I suggest you stop part way down, like mid upper ear as per DC

Yea, I don't bring it lower than my ear as it isn't comfortable below that point.

Prime Rib,

Yea, if you have rotator cuff problems then it's best to stay away from this exercise.

-sk

 

[Ivan Danko]

I had more pain in my shoulders before doing these. They have helped get rid of some pain for me. It also could be that i haven't been doing 100 pushes to 1 pull. Man why do we all do that at some point. So stupid!

And I guess i see it both ways in volleyball. I would have to look into that before training a volleyball player though. But in some sports i feel that these are a good addition to a program. I wrestle and we have to be able to work in all planes.

 

[crew9]

I think that if done correctly this exercise is not dangerous at all. Although if you have been doing all of your shoulder and chest work in the anterior you will need to start extremely light with these. Also for volleyball i would say these are almost a must becuase of serving and spiking movements. In these you come from the posterior anyway i think by not diong them you are setting yourself up for injury.

In a spike or a server yes your arm will go back but your whole upper body rotates so you shoulder doesn't go as far back as you'd think. Also keep in mind that in the spike you then bring your arm forward and not up as in behind neck presses.

 

[Hannibal]

It also could be that i haven't been doing 100 pushes to 1 pull. Man why do we all do that at some point. So stupid!

That was my point pretty much. However you spike a volleyball you have to swing your arm...and it is the posterior that has to stop your arm. I was in no way advocating behind the neck presses as I do not think they are an effective exercise...seated power cleans, face pulls, kelso shrugs, bent over laterals are all far superior IMO.

 

[bignate73]

seated power cleans

are referring to like a dbell clean for rotator cuff strengthening?

i just cant picture the bar sitting on my lap and cleaning it up to my shoulders.....