Is a Vertical Push Necessary?

I have been receiving conflicting arguments, from some friends, on the importance of staying balanced. I am by no means a bodybuilder or a strongman, but I do try to challenge myself for fun. Lately friends have been saying that I should add a vertical push to my routine. I respectfully disagree. My shoulders have been fine, so it’s not as if I couldn’t do the movement. I just don’t see the need, from the standpoint of trying to stay balanced and structurally sound, to add this to my routine. So please tell me why it is necessary or not for me to include this into my routine. Thanxs much. Btw, below is my current routine:

Usually 2-3 times a week I will do these exercises
(Lightly) Weighted Single Arm Push-ups 8-10 reps x 3-4 sets
Single Arm Rows 10-12 reps x 3-4 sets
Single Arm Chin-ups (Use bands for multiple reps) 10-12 reps x 3-4 sets (hopefully one day)
Single Leg Straight Leg Dead-lifts 8-10 reps x 3-4 sets
Single Leg Squat 8-10 reps x 3-4 sets

Depends on your goals. If you have a goal that doesn’t require a vertical push movement your energies may be more productively spent pursuing those exercises more suited to improving your performance.

Overhead press happens to be a lift on which I’m trying to hit a target, so I train it. If it wasn’t I probably would still train it because I like it.

But there’s a lot of guys that get by and even thrive just fine without it.

Make up your own damn mind.

Why not?

What are your goals? Are you just going to do your same training day forever? Ask yourself. If you dont want to be able to press hard overhead then dont.

-chris

It really depends on your goals. A lot of people can do fine without a vertical press.

[quote]malonetd wrote:
It really depends on your goals. A lot of people can do fine without a vertical press.[/quote]

Agreed, personally I love overhead pressing, I think there is something especially badass about a guy who can press well over his bodyweight overhead.

[quote]VikingsAD28 wrote:
malonetd wrote:
It really depends on your goals. A lot of people can do fine without a vertical press.

Agreed, personally I love overhead pressing, I think there is something especially badass about a guy who can press well over his bodyweight overhead.[/quote]

x2

I love the overhead press, I think it is a true show of strength. Also, vertical pressing complements vertical pulling (chin-ups). I have the Westside Seminar on DVD. On there Dave Tate talks about that. He doesn’t really encourage or discourage pull-ups or vertical presses for powerlifters but says it would be beneficial to do both if you are doing one. At least that is how I understood it. That said, if you are not training for a specific sport or event, why do something you don’t like or don’t want to do?

Good luck to ya.

You don’t really care about staying balanced, yet you do every exercise single-limbed?? idk man… I call trolling on this one…

I do care about being balanced. That is why I am wondering if a wertical push is necessary for balance.

[quote]Norys wrote:
I do care about being balanced. That is why I am wondering if a wertical push is necessary for balance. [/quote]

Yes, I think that including a vertical push like Military Press, Push-Press, or Jerks are pretty necessary for balance. I myself used to suck at OH pressing and when I included it, my bench went up! I think that including some sort of vertical push is needed to remain balanced and also look powerfull.

[quote]Norys wrote:
I do care about being balanced. That is why I am wondering if a wertical push is necessary for balance. [/quote]

What is “balance”?

All that you need to worry about for balance is that your pull is up there with your push. Vertical pushes are great, but they aren’t for everyone and there are a ton of different variations. If anything you could just do some neutral grip incline Db presses and that would be a good start.

EDIT: I just read your full post, and am not sure WHY you are doing that routine, but with that routie, you might as well add hand stand pushups since everything else is gymnast like.

Its kindof a catch 22. Being able to do a technically correct squat, deadlift or military press is important.

I would argue that whether or not you choose to do the above exercises, its important to have the ability to do them. In other words, it is important to have the flexibility and mobility to perform the movements because it demonstrates your body for lack of a better word, works.

I would also argue that being able to do these movements correctly REQUIRES, to a certain extent, that you do them. The only way to know that you are maintaining the ability to do the movements correctly is by doing them, at least often enough to check for deficiencies. Additionally, there is certain aspects of these exercises that make them irreplaceable if you are talking about having excellent function and strength in a variety of planes.

Recognizing that alot of people avoid certain exercises because they are not good at them, I would look critically at whether or not you can perform a good military press.

Take a look at Mark Felix press this weight overhead. He obviously cannot achieve a full overhead press, which is why he looks so uncomfortable and awkward doing it. No amount of technique work is going to help this issue, only working on the flexibility of whatever tight muscle/s crossing the shoulder joint will alleviate the problem.

Could be similar for you, alot of people have military presses that look like this. So what do you do? Just not do them? Or trial and error looking for the muscle/s causing the problem, infraspinatus, teres group, long head tricep… Should be able to do this movement.

Also, I have to agree with the above poster, I dont know why you are doing that routine. Obviously you have some idea that doing only single sided movements is going to keep you very balanced… I think you have taken it a few steps too far.