Overhead Pressing for Shoulder Size?

I don’t overhead press for delt size. I overhead press because I have found that it helps to prevent T-spine and scapular mobility issues. The overhead press is MORE of an upper back exercise than a delt exercise. I got impingement, but it was actually from not OH pressing often enough and losing mobility. I have added them back and am back to about 70% in 6 month.

Some good points above.

Overhead presses with a barbell are awesome. Big weights over head are just cool/satisfying. I agree that standing presses are very tough on the upper back. So, if your upper back, t-spine mobility or whatever sucks standing barbell press will be very difficult and uncomfortable. But, if you go from sucking at the overhead press to being better at it, the whole upper back gets better more mobile and stronger.

Seated dumbell presses are an easier way to build up to standing barbell presses.

Like Pangloss, I once dropped most horizontal pressing to focus on the clean and press for a strongman competition. When I came back to benching my upper back and shoulders were much stronger, and my bench set up and arch just felt way, way stronger and more natural. With this new strength and stability in the upper back/shoulders I was quickly and easily able to hit new PR’s in the bench press.

Presses make me stronger, and make my shoulders bigger and thicker, but they don’t give me that round, capped, defined delt look like raises in all directions do. But delt raises never really helped my strength much.

In my opinion, trying to “mind muscle connect” with the barbell overhead is a mistake. If I “feel” it in any one place, I’m usuallly doing it wrong. Save the MMC for delt raises, cable upright rows, machine presses and stuff like that.

By the way, for front delt size I would do fairly close grip barbell presses but only raise the bar to just above the head. For rear delts I do what I call compound shrugs.

Wow, they are shown in post 9 from 10 years ago. Favorite Rear Delt Movement? - Competitive Bodybuilding - Forums - T Nation

My shoulders have grown a lot since I started doing the Olympic lifts. I’ve also incorporated high rep overhead press (15-20 reps), with a real focus on squeezing my traps and internally rotating my arms at lockout, which seems to hit the lateral head nicely. Also, the Chinese weightlifters do a controlled lateral raise holding plates. Their arms meet above their heads, and after copying them, I’d agree that it definitely hits the lateral head hard (leave your ego at the door for this one).

I do higher rep shoulder pressing after I have already done flat and incline bench press and a ton of lateral raises. More often btn presses and dumbbell presses. I don’t really train for strength though, I just want muscle growth and after my have drained my delts, shoulder presses feel much better then if I do then fresh. Fresh should presses hit my triceps more then shoulders. I don’t think it’s nessisary at all if your just after muscle, as long as your chest work is up to snuff

[quote]TheKraken wrote:
For what its worth my focus is on strongman and I stopped flat benching altogether in July of 2014. I do overhead work twice a week, strict press and log c&p with incline bench and dips as assistance. My shoulder are noticeably bigger and definitely healthier. [/quote]

do you think the incline and decline(dips),are enuf to cover your chest from an aesthetic point of view? My opinions are suggesting to yes???

In my opinion, trying to “mind muscle connect” with the barbell overhead is a mistake. If I “feel” it in any one place, I’m usuallly doing it wrong. Save the MMC for delt raises, cable upright rows, machine presses and stuff like that.

i.will keep this in mind! ty

[quote]mertdawg wrote:
By the way, for front delt size I would do fairly close grip barbell presses but only raise the bar to just above the head. For rear delts I do what I call compound shrugs.

Wow, they are shown in post 9 from 10 years ago. Favorite Rear Delt Movement? - Competitive Bodybuilding - Forums - T Nation
[/quote]

going old school? Lol.time does fly. I think I saw Dorian Yates doing somethjng like this…gonna add that to next shoulder workout

[quote]texas man wrote:
I do higher rep shoulder pressing after I have already done flat and incline bench press and a ton of lateral raises. More often btn presses and dumbbell presses. I don’t really train for strength though, I just want muscle growth and after my have drained my delts, shoulder presses feel much better then if I do then fresh. Fresh should presses hit my triceps more then shoulders. I don’t think it’s nessisary at all if your just after muscle, as long as your chest work is up to snuff[/quote]

so you do shoulders on chest day…I like where you’re coming from,but I don’t understand the last sentence. Do you mean you don’t need to do shoulders if working.the chest properly? Thanks

my delts lose fullness if i drop overhead press work but i dont start my delt routine with presses.

i start with front raises. 3 sets of 12-15 reps. this is a warm up exercise for me.

then i do a side delt superset. i do heavy partial lateral swings a la John Meadows followed by full range of motion lateral raises. 3 sets of 12-15 reps.

after my delts are toasted, i finish with dumbbell arnold presses. 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

i train rear delts on back day.

the end.