Overhead Lifting Considerations

Even though I consider the typical “shoulder” day ridiculous, in my opinion there are many ways to do certain overhead lifts properly (aka not seated) to keep a person’s shoulder safe. Typically, the best athletes generate the most force through their lower extremity whether it is sprinter, baseball player throwing a ball, soccer playing kicking a ball, or a football player creating power from his feet to lay a hit. Basically, the legs are the powerhouse to produce the power in athletic movements. So onto the considerations that I have learned about over the year or so…

Shoulder presses should at least be performed standing for a variety of reasons

1) In the above statement I put, athletes produce force from the ground up and the general population sits too much anyway.
2) Seated presses (unless there is some type of lower extremity injury) can restrict optimal muscle activity–seated can restrict the range of motions at the scapula-thoracic/gleno-humeral joint
3) Pinning the scapula back on the bench can alter the scapular-humeral rhythm which is paramount for safe overhead lifting movements–(heard this from Robert Paniarello PT)
4) This lack of rhythm will lead to screwed up muscle force couples and stabilizers.. Meaning that the deltoids are going to get overworked and the scapular stabilizers, underworked–we know that these stabilizers need to work optimally in conjunction with the deltoid to create safe overhead movements (a main reason why people may have problems with overhead pressing in the first place)

Another interesting tidbit is to test for the extensibility of someone’s latissimus dorsi..you know, the one in which every guy thinks he has huge shoulders and walks around like this guy.

If you walk around like this, you might not be able to get you arm overhead

The latissimus dorsi has a huge attachment through the throacolumbar fascia from the lower 6 thoracic spinous processes, all the lumbar spinous processes, down to the sacrum and iliac crest. This allows the muscle to affect the lumbopelvic alignment. Sahrmann describes these compensatory patterns in her book, so that a short lat (as the arm is raised overhead) will cause an extension force, tilting the pelvis anteriorly. Even if the lat is not short, there is a possibility that the abdominals are not stiff enough to resist the extension at the lumbar spine as the arm is overhead (relative flexibility). This is another case why we need to work on muscle tissue all the time. Looking at the test below, if the girl were to extend at the lumbar spine while getting her wrist closer to the floor, this would be an example of the lat possibly being short or stiff.

Lat test goal= to get wrist to floor without lumbar extension

These are just some considerations to look for in order to keep the shoulders safe. Another quick consideration when shoulder pressing with DB’s is to press with the palms facing each other which allows more space in the shoulder joint to get overhead.

Cheers,

Matt

Tags: endeavor, matt, performance, siniscalchi

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Comment by Matt Siniscalchi on June 23, 2011 at 7:48pm: Bryan,

I think that generating power from the hips for an overhead lift is fine most of the time (push presses, etc). I just have a hard time thinking that any behind the neck presses offer more benefit instead of push press type exercises. Keep up the great work!

-Matt

Comment by Bryan Pinabell on June 23, 2011 at 10:44am: Coach,

One of my favorite standing shoulder exercises is the Stuckey Combo. What do you think about that exercise? I have tweaked the last part of the exercise to make the behind the neck press a "squat and press" in order to generate power from the legs and hips. What do you think about that? Thanks Coach.

Comment by Matt Siniscalchi on June 22, 2011 at 5:00pm: James,

I would, for the most part, stay away from behind the neck pressing (BTN). I think there is always literature to state both sides of the story. I say this just because while you may see increased ROM, that is not necessarily always a good thing. When you behind the neck press, you force the shoulder into extreme external rotation under heavy loads which places a huge stress on the anterior structures and capsule of the shoulder. So while I think pressing has it's part in sports that absolutely may need some overhead movements, this scenario should be avoided anyway. For example, Olympic lifters are absolutely going to need this for competitive success, but do we need to be putting our athletes into that position, probably not. Another reason I would avoid this (BTN) is because is the frontal plane of this exercise does not allow optimal length tension of the scapulae and rotator cuff muscles...AKA the infraspinatus and subscap may be limited in their ability to depress the scapula (centering the humeral head in the glenoid fossa needed for overhead movements). Hope it gave you some insight! Keep up the great work!

Cheers,

-Matt

Comment by James Burrows on June 22, 2011 at 2:03pm: Excellent article. I am a firm believer in the overhead press both dumbbell (palms facing each other) and barbell variations as it is a great exercise to funadmentally strengthen other pressing and pulling movements. I would like to ask your opinion however on pressing behind the neck as there is literature that warns against behind the necking pressing, with conflicting articles stating that being able to press behind the neck is a good indictator of shoulder health. I believe pressing in front and behind the neck both have their place in a strength and conditioning program, as from my own training experience I have noted no determinatal affects to shoulder health, but an increase in ROM, flexibility and strength when utilising the press behind the neck.

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