Overhead presses are one of the greatest moves to develop shoulder strength and mass. They build the deltoid muscles and muscles that support the shoulder blade, strengthen the shoulder with a wide range of motion, and improve performance both inside and outside the gym. But they are t the best shoulder exercise for men. This title belongs to the landmine shoulder press.
Why? Because even if you take care to crank out overhead presses with a beautiful shape, there is usually something wrong. And even slight defects in shape can ultimately lead to pain or injury. Enter the landmine shoulder press.
What is the Land Press Shoulder Press?
A land mine is unique Strength training tool, Created by attaching one end of a barbell to a metal sleeve attached to the floor (or by tucking the end into a corner with towels or between two weights). The free end is then loaded with weight plates and used as resistance.
When it comes to squeezing the landmine shoulder, you guessed it, the end is pushed over your head with your shoulders.
“What really sets the landmine shoulder press apart from other overhead separations Shoulder press Variations are the path of movement of weight and shoulders, ”explains Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., strength trainer and owner of the CORE training studio outside of Boston.
With conventional shoulder presses, the weight moves straight up in accordance with the ears, while the land mine requires an arched path of movement. When you press the weight, it also moves forward in a curved trajectory in front of you.
Why the Landmine shoulder press is so effective
The land mine shoulder press movement path is important because it builds shoulders without the risks associated with most lifts.
These risks, including shoulder and Lower back pain According to Gentilcore, all signs of wear on the shoulder cartilage are due to the usual restrictions on shoulder mobility. These are usually due to a combination of sitting, bending over phones and computers, muscular imbalances between the front and rear chains, or simply lack of training in mobility, he says.
However, pressing the Landmine shoulder does not require above average shoulder mobility as you move the weight up and down before the the body. Translation: All the benefits with less risk.
In addition, the setup enables the pressing of higher loads than is normally possible with conventional military and overhead presses.
When you push the shoulder up and out, it is in a stronger position than when you push it straight up. It is also supported by the pectoral muscles, which further increases the weight you can handle Prentiss Rhodes, C.P.T., product manager at the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
In addition, the landmine shoulder press is a mixture of free weight and fixed weight, explains Rhodes. While the shoulders need to control weight in some levels of motion, they don't have to work as hard to stabilize a land mine as when moving a free barbell or dumbbells.
Even so, the control that landmine shoulder squeezing still requires is enough to improve shoulder stability, says Rhodes, and it's important to focus on having each phase of the exercise with firm, packed shoulders. The overhead phase also requires a lot of core stability.
Finally, it is also worth thinking about the grip: the landmine shoulder is pressed with a neutral grip, with the humerus or upper arm bone positioned gently in the shoulder cavity. A pronounced grip during shoulder exercises tends to carry a higher risk of impact and joint problems.
How to make the Landmine shoulder press with perfect shape
Justin Steele for the men's journal
- Attach the barbell to the land mine with the appropriate weight plates and secure the load with a weight clip. If you don't have a special land mine available, you can put the end of a barbell in a corner (created by two walls) or two tall, heavy rubber weight plates.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with the loaded end of the barbell between the balls of your feet. (Other options include a staggered posture, resting on both knees, or sitting with your legs straight in front of you.)
- Clean the barbell with both hands near your chest with your elbows straight down towards the floor.
- Keep your core and lats taut and push the weight up until your arms are fully extended. Lean forward slightly from your ankles to match the arched path of movement of the weight.
- Stop, slowly lower the weight back onto your chest and repeat the process.
"In terms of technology, it is very important to keep the upper back flat and the core engaged and not to allow immersion in the lower back," he says Roger Earle, C.S.C.S., C.P.T., co-author of Strength training: steps to success. This prevents weight from getting into and injuring the lower back, and at the same time prevents the shoulders from being rounded forward. Try to keep your legs, torso, and arms in a long, straight line throughout the exercise.
In the process, you can try out the landmine shoulder press from a half-kneeling or split standing position and press it with one arm (with the opposite leg forward). This will focus on one-sided strength and place greater demands on the stability of the shoulder and rotator cuff muscles. It will also train the core's rotational strength and be highly oblique, notes Rhodes.
How to integrate the Landmine shoulder press into your training routine
The landmine shoulder press fits seamlessly into any training program. Depending on your program plan, you can add it to whole body, upper body, push and shoulder specific workouts.
If the shoulder press is one of many overhead press movements in your arsenal, you should train it two to three times a week. However, if you do different shoulder pressures with free weights or machines, even integrating them into your training once a week can be of great benefit.
The right burden for you will be very individual and based on both your goals and your shoulder health. Since the landmine shoulder press is a multi-joint movement, you can load it with a maximum with relatively high repetitions to improve the maximum force. For example, try 4 sets of 6 reps or 5 sets of 5 reps.
You can also use medium or light weights and higher reps to prioritize muscle endurance or keep the risk of injury to a minimum if you suffer from ailing joints or have had shoulder problems in the past. Consider everything from 3 sets of 12 or 15 reps to 4 or 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps. The harder you go, the earlier in your training you should move.
And although the landmine press does not require the greatest possible shoulder mobility, it never hurts to train them. Perform exercises such as wall slides, serratus anterior slides with a foam roller, or shoulder rotations for a few minutes before reaching the land mine.
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