Healthy Shoulders with the Isawall – Overhead Shoulder Press
The overhead shoulder press is one of the most common exercises seen in gyms and fitness centers. There are numerous variations of this exercise, and it is one of the best exercises out there for building massive shoulders, or just toning and firming the shoulder area. Strong, healthy shoulders with the Isawall are easy to achieve.
While the Overhead Shoulder Press is a great exercise, there are some downsides to this exercise that even many seasoned weightlifters and gym-goers are not aware of. Let’s take a look at some of the considerations that should be made prior to engaging in the overhead shoulder press.
Checking Your Range Of Motion
Many weightlifters and gym goers pay little or no attention to the range of motion that they have for various movements. The range of motion that a person has at various joints can determine if an exercise is less than ideal or even detrimental to an individual.
Assessing shoulder external range of motion before engaging in the overhead shoulder press is one way of making sure you do not lift weight through an angle that your body cannot properly move through. Assessing external range of motion at the shoulders is very easy. You simply stand next to a wall with your heels all the way up against the wall. Extend your arms straight directly to the side. Next bend only at the elbow until your arms are at a 90 degree angle with the underside of your forearms and palms facing down toward the ground. Next try to drive your arms up toward the wall as far as you can. At this point, your forearms should be pointing directly up toward the ceiling if you have good range of motion.
Many people who assess or have assessed their shoulder external range of motion will notice that they cannot get their arms all the way up toward the wall with the back of the palms flat against it. This is not uncommon, and being aware of this limitation can save you a lot of problems down the road if you pay attention to it.
Some people have a minor limitation in their shoulder external range of motion, while others are very limited. If you find that you have a minor or even major reduced range of motion with shoulder external rotation, there are a few steps you can take to ensure safely working your shoulders.
Altering Your Angles
Whether a free weight shoulder press or a machine shoulder press, most of such exercises require you to take your arms straight up overhead. This is fine for people with full external range of motion at the shoulders. If you have limitations however in this movement, changing the angle at which you do your overhead presses can help you dramatically. There are a few ways you can modify the overhead shoulder press in order to accomplish this.
First, you can position a seat or bench so that when you move your arms overhead, the movement is just slightly forward. This works better with a fixed machine such as a Smith Machine, but it can also work using cables. The idea here is by reducing the direct angle overhead by even ten or twenty degrees, you decrease the superior position that the humerus bone is sitting in the joint. This alone can make the shoulder press much easier on the shoulders for many people.
Secondly, if you have a great deal of limitation with external shoulder rotation, you can change the way you do your overhead press completely. This is done by bringing your arms out in front of you with your palms facing in toward each other. Your forearms should stay vertical with your palms near the front of your shoulders. If you can do dumbbell shoulder presses this way, it is generally much easier on the shoulders. The only downside is that the anterior deltoid is the primary muscle worked here instead of the medial deltoid, which is the primary one working on a standard dumbbell press.
One of the many awesome features on Isawall is that you can do hundreds of exercises that simulate their dumbbell, barbell, and machine counterparts. Isawall was designed so that everyone from seasoned athletes to those with physical challenges can use it.
One way you can do shoulder presses on Isawall is to insert resistance bands into the lower-most insertion points. This automatically factors in limited shoulder external range of motion because you will not be pressing the bands directly overhead, but rather up and forward. There are many other variations of the shoulder press that can be done on Isawall, so make sure to contact one of your representatives if you have any questions regarding shoulder presses or any other exercises.
Paul Owens is a personal trainer in the Cleveland area. He is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the National Council on Strength and fitness. He is also a Corrective Exercise Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He can be reached at http://www.clevelandpersonaltraining.com
