You might have heard that to construct “boulder” shoulders, you must deal with entrance, facet, and rear dumbbell raises.
That’s nonsense.
Whereas these workouts have their advantages, the true key to constructing shoulder mass and power is vertical push workouts.
These workouts prepare all three heads of your delts whereas additionally growing a number of different main higher physique muscle teams, together with your chest, arms, and higher again.
Which vertical press workouts work greatest? Listed here are my high six:
- Standing barbell overhead press
- Seated barbell overhead press
- Standing dumbbell overhead press
- Shoulder press
- Arnold press
- Machine shoulder press
On this article, you’ll be taught why these workouts are so efficient, perceive carry out them for optimum development, and uncover extra tricks to take your shoulder coaching to the following stage.
Key Takeaways
- A vertical push train is a power coaching motion the place you press towards resistance vertically (in an up-and-down course).
- The most effective vertical push workouts are the standing and seated barbell overhead press, standing dumbbell overhead press, Arnold press, and each the dumbbell and machine shoulder press.
- Vertical push workouts construct higher physique muscle, improve practical power, and enhance shoulder stability.
- Vertical push workouts primarily prepare your shoulders and triceps, although additionally they assist develop your higher chest and higher again.
What Is a Vertical Push Train?
A vertical push train (or “vertical press train”) is any strength training motion the place you press towards resistance vertically (in an up-and-down course). In nearly all instances, this implies urgent a weight overhead.
The one exceptions are body weight vertical push workouts just like the pike push-up or handstand push-up. In these workouts, you place your physique nearly perpendicular to the ground, supporting your weight in your arms.
You decrease your physique by bending your elbows, then push by means of your arms to return to the beginning place:
6 Greatest Vertical Push Workouts for Shoulder Mass and Power
1. Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Why: The standing barbell overhead press is the king of pushing shoulder workouts. It trains your entrance, facet, and rear delts, in addition to the rotator cuff, providing you with a full shoulder exercise in a single train. Plus, as a result of it lets you elevate heavy weights and progress usually, it’s good for including mass and constructing power in your shoulders.
How:
- Set a barbell in a rack on the similar top as your higher chest.
- Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms going through away from you.
- Unrack the barbell, step backward, and plant your toes simply outdoors of shoulder width.
- Push the bar towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
RELATED: The Best Full Shoulder Workouts for Building Size and Mass
2. Seated Barbell Overhead Press
Why: The seated barbell overhead press is nice for constructing shoulder mass as a result of it doesn’t require as a lot core stability because the standing model. This lets you elevate heavier weights and progress quicker, making it the most effective higher physique vertical push workouts for packing on shoulder dimension and power.
How:
- Arrange an upright bench in a squat rack or use a seated barbell overhead press station.
- Set a barbell within the rack at about shoulder top when standing.
- Sit down and grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms going through away from you.
- Unrack the barbell and decrease it to your collarbone.
- Press the bar towards the ceiling and return to the beginning place.
3. Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press
Why: Research exhibits that the standing dumbbell overhead press trains all three heads of the deltoids extra successfully than most different overhead presses. This makes it a wonderful vertical press train for constructing balanced shoulder mass and power.
How:
- Stand upright together with your toes shoulder-width aside and a dumbbell in every hand.
- Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply above your shoulders together with your palms going through away from you.
- Press the dumbbells towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
- Decrease the dumbbells and return to the beginning place.
4. Shoulder Press
Why: The seated dumbbell shoulder press is extra secure than the standing model as a result of the bench helps your again. This makes it simpler to elevate heavier weights safely, aiding muscle and power achieve.
How:
- Sit on an upright bench and maintain a dumbbell in every hand, resting them in your thighs.
- Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply above your shoulders together with your palms going through away from you.
- Press the dumbbells towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
- Decrease the dumbbells and return to the beginning place.
5. Arnold Press
Why: The Arnold press contributes to well-rounded shoulder mass by emphasizing your facet delts greater than different overhead urgent variations. In different phrases, it’s an excellent vertical push train for these wanting so as to add width to their delts.
How:
- Sit on an upright bench and maintain a dumbbell in every hand, resting them in your thighs.
- Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply in entrance of your shoulders together with your palms going through you.
- Press the dumbbells straight overhead whereas rotating your wrists till your arms are straight and your palms are going through away from you.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
RELATED: The Arnold Split: Build Muscle Like Schwarzenegger
6. Machine Shoulder Press
Why: The machine shoulder press requires much less coordination than most different pushing shoulder workouts, which makes it a strong vertical press possibility for learners. It’s additionally a good selection for superior weightlifters wanting so as to add extra shoulder volume (units) on the finish of a exercise after they’re already fatigued, because it’s usually much less taxing than free-weight vertical push workouts.
How:
- Modify the shoulder press machine’s seat so the handles are about the identical top as your ears, then sit down.
- Grip the handles together with your palms going through away from you, then press them towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
Advantages of Vertical Press Workouts
Elevated Higher Physique Dimension
Vertical urgent workouts prepare most main muscle teams above you waist, together with your shoulders, triceps, higher again, and higher chest, making them splendid for gaining all-around higher physique dimension.
They’re additionally good for making use of progressive overload (progressively rising the burden you elevate over time), which is important for constructing muscle and power.
Improved Useful Power
Vertical pushing power is essential for numerous on a regular basis actions, reminiscent of lifting objects overhead, putting issues on excessive cabinets, or pushing one thing above you. Vertical push workouts enable you construct the muscle groups concerned in these actions, so that they really feel extra manageable.
Enhanced Shoulder Well being
The intricate community of muscle groups, tendons, and ligaments in your shoulders provides them a formidable vary of movement, however this flexibility additionally makes them extra susceptible to injury in comparison with different joints.
Vertical push workouts strengthen the muscle groups that stabilize and assist the shoulder, just like the deltoids and rotator cuff. Coaching these muscle groups improves shoulder stability, making the joint extra resilient and fewer susceptible to damage.
RELATED: The 7 Best Ways to Fix and Prevent Shoulder Pain
Muscle groups Labored by Vertical Push Workouts
The primary muscle labored by workouts that contain pushing vertically are:
- Deltoids (entrance, facet, rear)
- Triceps
- Pectoralis main (primarily the “higher pecs”)
- Trapezius
Vertical pushes additionally prepare your rotator cuff muscle groups and core to a lesser diploma.
Right here’s how the principle muscle groups labored look in your physique:
FAQ #1: Are dips a vertical push train?
No, dips are a horizontal push train. Vertical push workouts contain urgent weight overhead, just like the overhead press or shoulder press. That mentioned, dips and vertical push workouts prepare lots of the similar muscle groups, particularly the shoulders.
READ MORE: An Expert Guide to the Muscles Worked by Dips
FAQ #2: Are lateral raises a vertical push train?
No, lateral raises aren’t vertical push workouts. They aim the facet delts, which you additionally work throughout vertical pushes, however they contain lifting the arms out to the perimeters moderately than urgent overhead.
READ MORE: How to Do Lateral Raises: Form, Mistakes, & Variations
FAQ #3: Are you able to do vertical push workouts at residence?
Sure, you are able to do vertical push workouts at residence. When you’re a newbie, the pike push-up is an efficient vertical push train that mimics an overhead press utilizing your physique weight. Right here’s the way it seems:
When you’re extra superior, attempt the handstand push-up. It’s a harder vertical press that requires vital shoulder power and steadiness:
Scientific References +
- Saeterbakken, Atle H., and Marius S. Fimland. “Effects of Body Position and Loading Modality on Muscle Activity and Strength in Shoulder Presses.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 27, no. 7, July 2013, pp. 1824–1831, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e318276b873.
- Raizada, Shiny, and Amritashish Bagchi. “Comparison among the EMG Activity of the Anterior Deltoid and Medial Deltoid during Two Variations of Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise.” Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, vol. 8, no. 4, 2017, p. 653, https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2017.00411.9. Accessed 18 July 2019.
