Sure elements of train choice are likely to dominate the dialog: Do sumo deadlifts beat out typical pulls? Do you have to bench with a barbell or dumbbells? Are lat pulldowns higher than pull-ups for again progress? The checklist goes on. However what about one thing so simple as your setup?
For sure actions, standing or sitting could make all of the distinction on the earth. That is notably true for the shoulder press — a motion that you could be consider as an upper-body unique.
Right here’s every part it is advisable know concerning the seated vs. standing shoulder press (significantly, there’s extra occurring right here than you may suppose) so you may make an knowledgeable resolution about which one is best for you.
Why It Issues
Fact be instructed, standing (or sitting) in your overhead presses received’t dramatically alter the outcomes of the train. All the pieces you do from the waist up — together with and particularly the movement of your shoulders — is similar in each the seated and standing presses.
When you carry out the 2 workouts correctly, it’s best to get comparable outcomes long-term. That stated, consolation and sustainability can not directly have an effect on your positive factors as properly. Standing presses may assist you to brace your core better, resulting in extra weight in your bar over time.
Then again, performing seated shoulder presses takes much less coordination and thus may assist you to get a better mind-muscle connection. There are additionally a number of logistical components to contemplate. The satan is, as all the time, within the particulars.
When to Do the Seated vs. Standing Shoulder Press
The tools you’ve got entry to, numerous logistical components, pre-existing limitations, and, greater than the rest, your fitness goals all influence which workouts it’s best to carry out. Sitting or standing in your shoulder presses could make all of the distinction relying on what you need out of your time within the weight room.
For Energy
When you’re within the weight room to improve your pressing strength, it’s best to in all probability carry out the standing shoulder press — nevertheless it’s a detailed name. Whereas standing up, you’ve got the power to make use of a little bit of isometric leg drive to contribute to your energy output in the identical style {that a} powerlifter would brace their legs throughout the bench press.
Furthermore, standing up turns the press into extra of a full-body strength exercise. Your decrease physique should contract isometrically to stay nonetheless whilst you push, and the identical goes in your core. It is best to, in concept, have the ability to elevate extra weight standing than sitting.
For Muscle Progress
Then again, when you’re urgent to grow your shoulders or triceps, your finest guess is to go for the seated shoulder press. This removes the power to utilize your legs and can seemingly restrict how a lot weight you’ll be able to work with, however you may be assured that extra of the load is utilized on to your delts and arms.
Not having to brace your decrease physique additionally affords you more mental energy to focus in your mind-muscle connection and inner cuing. Standing up takes its personal ingredient of coordination and focus past what you have to do along with your shoulders.
As a Newbie
When you’re new to the gym and are on the prowl for a very good shoulder train, the overhead press is a stellar decide. Whether or not you carry out your presses standing or seated is as much as you; each work properly for newcomers.
There’s extra bodily coordination required for the standing shoulder press, notably when you use dumbbells. You might need to start by performing the seated shoulder press and, over the course of some weeks, progress towards urgent from a standing place.
If You’re Brief on Time
Time constraints can change the course of your exercise, and never all the time for the higher. It’s a easy fact of lifting weights that some actions take extra time to finish than others, notably if these lifts require hotly contested tools akin to a squat rack.
In a busy gym, you could end up ready in line to carry out the standing shoulder press out of a rack. When you’re on the clock, that canine received’t hunt. In such instances, your finest guess is to carry out the seated shoulder press as an alternative. Dumbbells are usually available, and you may sit on any adjustable bench or low seat (or choose out of a back support altogether).
Advantages of the Seated Shoulder Press
These are the promoting factors of the seated shoulder press: You possibly can isolate your shoulders higher than when you stand, it might assist you to work round sure accidents, and it’s usually simpler to be taught.
Higher Shoulder Isolation
To grow muscle, you want to have the ability to deal with that muscle, which suggests taking exterior components out of the equation. The extra you must fear about — akin to balancing your self, bracing your core, or incorporating some leg drive — the much less you’ll be able to deal with the goal muscle.
By performing your overhead presses whereas sitting, you’ll be able to take every part out of the equation besides in your shoulders and allow you to zone in on what issues most: a darn good contraction.
Could Assist You Work Round Damage
Make no mistake — sitting down for a shoulder press received’t magically spare you of an injury or treatment one that you simply’re at present coping with. If in case you have an achy knee or janky hip, although, taking a seat may allow you to press heavy if you’d in any other case not have the ability to.
Simpler to Study
The extra transferring components you add to an train, the extra complicated it turns into — even when these “components” aren’t truly in movement. Urgent from a standing place is a ability that takes time to domesticate. Then again, seated shoulder presses are extra about brute drive than approach. (That doesn’t imply you shouldn’t pay attention to your form, although.)
Advantages of the Standing Shoulder Press
Standing shoulder presses will humble you. They’ll additionally assist you to develop full-body coordination and power when you can master the technique and be taught to push critical weight correctly.
Extra Loading Potential
Heavy standing presses are among the many most formidable challenges you’ll be able to tackle in the weight room — there’s a purpose that the game of strongman is riddled with overhead work. Standing in your presses means that you can load up heavier weights and transfer these weights with extra than simply your shoulders.
You want a robust core and rock-solid legs to get a heavy barbell over your head. When you’re trying to transfer as a lot weight as potential, positively rise up in your presses.
Full-Physique Stimulation
Any motion that you simply carry out from a standing place will involve your entire body to some extent. In spite of everything, you must maintain the bar in your fingers throughout Romanian deadlifts. The identical thought applies to the standing shoulder press; your legs must contract strongly to present you a basis to press from.
The standing press isn’t strictly a full-body train, however your core, glutes, and quads can’t sit on the sidelines throughout onerous units by any means.
Carries Over to Different Actions
Many power athletes depend on the strict press as a mainline accessory movement that contributes to their sport-specific efficiency. Strongmen will strict press as a precursor to heavy log work, and Olympic lifters use the standing press to heat up their shoulders earlier than a heavy clean & jerk session.
Any train that recruits a big portion of your total musculature tends to have stable carryover as properly. When you can brace your core whilst you press a heavy weight overhead, you’ll be able to brace your core for a heavy entrance squat or deadlift as properly.
Seated vs. Standing Shoulder Press Approach
Regardless of their obvious variations (a lot of which fly beneath the radar and aren’t apparent at a look), the mechanics of the seated and standing shoulder presses are kind of the identical. The way you strategy them from a technical standpoint relies upon largely on the equipment you use and what you need out of the train within the first place.
What You Want
Seated Shoulder Press
You’ll must discover a shoulder press station with a built-in bench in case your health club has one. This may assist you to rack and unrack a barbell whereas sitting. You too can drag a conveyable bench over to a squat rack.
When you’re working with dumbbells, you’ll want that very same moveable seat, nevertheless it may additionally pay to have the help of a spotter who will help you get the dumbbells over your head to start the set.
Standing Shoulder Press
When you don’t need to power clean the barbell earlier than every set, you’ll must do your overhead presses from inside a squat or energy rack — be sure you have sufficient area over your head.
When you’re doing the standing shoulder press with dumbbells, you’ll have to carry out a dumbbell energy clear earlier than every set, which can take some vitality. Additionally, make certain there’s sufficient open area round you in case you must drop the dumbbells in an emergency.
Setting Up
Seated Shoulder Press
When you’re using dumbbells, begin by sitting within the seat with every weight resting in your kneecaps. “Kick” the dumbbells as much as your shoulders one by one. If in case you have a spotter, you’ll be able to have them help you by guiding your elbows into place.
When you’re utilizing a barbell in a shoulder urgent station, you’ll be able to set the bar within the hooks both in entrance of you or behind you, whichever is extra snug. If the bar is behind your head, have a spotter assist you to unrack it. If it’s in entrance of you, rise out of the seat to unrack it manually after which sit again down.
Standing Shoulder Press
When you’re working out of a squat rack, make certain the barbell is ready across the top of your clavicles or barely decrease. Place each ft beneath the bar, seize it with each fingers, pull your elbows beneath, and step out.
When you’re performing the shoulder press with out the help of a rack, you’ll must energy clear the barbell (or dumbbells) from the ground every time.
Throughout Your Set
Seated Shoulder Press
When you’re in place, press the dumbbells or barbell up and again till the load is instantly above your shoulder. Be sure to’re sitting upright within the seat along with your ft firmly towards the foot rails.
Keep away from scooting your butt ahead and leaning again excessively. This may alter which muscle tissue you employ throughout the press and will put undesirable strain on your spine in some instances.
Standing Shoulder Press
The important thing to success throughout the standing press is bracing. Guarantee that your lower body is completely locked in out of your ft to your stomach. Actively push towards the ground along with your legs to interact your quadriceps and glutes.
You possibly can assume no matter stance is snug. When you’re performing a strict military press, your ft ought to keep up a correspondence with one another, however perceive that this may compromise your steadiness to some extent. You possibly can take a hip-width or wider stance to present your self a broader base of help. This may increasingly assist you to generate extra drive whilst you press.
Take a Stand (or a Seat)
Within the realm of exercise selection, some variations matter greater than others. Sumo and conventional deadlifts are fairly completely different of their approach, mobility calls for, and muscle activation, for instance.
The variations aren’t as stark between the seated and standing shoulder presses, however there’s extra at play than simply needing increased ceilings when you favor to press from a standing place. Understanding the nuts and bolts of each actions will help you resolve which one is best for you. With that data in hand, you’ll be able to deal with what actually issues — working onerous and making positive factors.
Featured Picture: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
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