ALL VERSUS SERIES VIDEOS:
*READ FULL ARTICLE WITH PHOTOS*
Welcome to another instalment in my VERSUS SERIES! Last time we compared the Incline Barbell Bench Press VS. the Reverse-Grip Bench Press. If you didn’t see the article, you can check it out HERE. Today we are going to be comparing the BARBELL SHOULDER PRESS VS the DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS.
To begin this comparison, let’s first discuss the muscles that are primarily involved in both movements which are the anterior, middle & posterior deltoids. These muscles are responsible for shoulder abduction, shoulder flexion and shoulder extension. You will also be activating your triceps brachii and biceps brachii during each movement as well. Remember that your triceps assist in the pressing motion during the movement and are active throughout the full range of motion. For your biceps brachii, especially the short head, these muscles will act more like dynamic stabilizers throughout the movement.
Some other muscles involved that will act as stabilizers during the movement are your rotator cuffs, traps, lats, teres major and minor and rhomboids. You will also be activating all the muscles in your core, but how much activation you will have will change when doing the exercise standing versus seated. With that being said, in this article we are going to primarily focus on the seated version of both exercises, but I will still briefly mention some of the differences in muscle activation in the standing versions of each exercise at the end of the article.
Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
For this exercise, all you need is a bench and a rack (if you have one, you can also use a seat that is already in an upright position with back support). To get started, you’re going to sit down and keep your feet flat on the ground. If the bench you’re using has an option where you can put your feet on the pegs, I’d recommend doing that because you want to make sure that your butt and your back stay against the back pad throughout the entire range of motion. Anything you can do to ensure that you don’t slide forward throughout the movement is going to help you out. What happens when you start to slide forward too much is that you start to turn the movement into an incline barbell bench press. If you start in an upright position, but slowly slide forward to the point where you’re arching your back excessively and pushing the weight up, there’s no support for your lower back and you can severely injure yourself.
The reason why most people will slide forward is because they want to lift heavier weight, so just drop the ego, use the correct amount of weight, and you won’t risk injuring yourself. With all that being said, you do want to have a SLIGHT arch in your back, just make sure that your glutes are touching the bench and your shoulders are touching the bench. Once in place, you’re going to grab the barbell about 2 inches outside of shoulder width. If you grab too close as you do the movement, you’re going to be recruiting a lot more triceps into the exercise, and you don’t want to do that. Once your grip is correct, you’re going to unrack the weight and then once you have the bar over your head, you’re going to have to turn your elbows forward slightly. The reason is because if you were to keep the barbell where it was previously and bring it straight down, the bar will hit your head. By turning your elbows forward slightly, you can bring the barbell down to the top of your chest and yes, you’re doing full range of motion. After touching the top of your chest, you’re going to press the barbell back up, and lockout back at the top of the movement with the barbell OVER your head, not out in front of it.
Another thing you can do to keep this movement nice and fluid is you can keep your head up a little bit. You can tilt it up slightly and that will help make sure that as you bring the barbell down it doesn’t hit you in the face and when you press it back up, it won’t hit you in the chin. Keep these things in mind when doing this exercise, and you’ll have proper form!
*CONTINUE READING HERE*
Program Selector – Get The Right Program For You! –
—————————————-
Subscribe To My Channel –
—————————————-
1 on 1 Online Coaching –
—————————————-
DOWNLOAD MY APP! – iPhone & Android!
—————————————-
MORE TIPS! –
48 comments
Honestly I’m a fan of both I don’t believe in one being better then the other I like to be doing both and the benefits of both the strength from the overhead press will transfer to the bench press but that can be just me
Why can I overheard press more with dumbbells than with a barbell?
I’m using 75s for 8 reps standing with dumbbells.
I can barely do 115 for 3 reps with a barbell
So basically the standing Dumbbell is the best for building muscle
What if you just do both weekly ? 🤔
Baaah baah baah baaahhh baahhbell
good to no for someone trying to build that vtaper i guess ill play with dbs for a bit
OMG your accent is horrendous, where are you from?
So Sitting is better. Athlean x says differently
Bahbell Shoulduh Press
Great video and explanation! Thanks so much for sharing!
why do the seated version at all?
So it's better to do these exercises standing instead of sitting?
I get more injuries when I do barbel shoulder press especially behind the neck😭
Is he part sheep? BAAAAGH bell
Nice video…you are amazing and thank you for doing this…
Why does he pronounce the R in started different than in series
6:50
You should also started to workout your "R" pronounciation
Some nigga buy him a god dang shirt
I prefer the dumbbells but I workout at home and I don't think I can't afford to buy a rack of dumbbells and it takes a lot of space hence I'm considering to just buy a set of barbell and more plates for 2-3 years. But which one is faster for muscle growth if you prioritize that wider broader shoulders aesthetic? I'm pretty insecure about my ratio so I just want to get it faster.
Great video!! Keep them coming!!
Excellent points about shoulder impingement with the overhead barbell press, as well as about grunting ego-lifters.
Hey its been almost a week and I've starting following your workouts. I really don't know where I was until now. I should have found you more earlier. Thank you so much for the detailed information you provide in your videos. May I please ask you for a help. While performing Single arm Tricep Extension I feel a bit of pain in my right shoulder. If would be really helpful if you can suggest me something on this. Hope to hear from you soon. Keep posting new stuffs and I love that "Whats up Nation" 🙂
Pretty informative tbf 👌
Is it good to do both?
are you from Australia?
It really hurts me to have my elbows out to the side during a dumbbell shoulder press, I have a bad shoulder. is it all right to bring my elbows in a little bit while doing it or will that affect the muscle growth
Is he wearing pasties
In my opinion the Log press is better if you own one
So, he says standing is better, but does all the exercises sitting down.
wow tank top + voice / terrible boston accent = immediate video exit
Dumbbells are better. Greater range of motion. That is preferable always.
You should do push press and overhead press
Which one is better for building wide shoulders ?
Yo take that sorry excuse of a tank top off it’s a disgrace to men.
Can we do both in a single workout??
Which exercise do you think is better for round, capped middle delts, the standing DB overhead press or the side lateral raises?
thank you for explanation, so many usefull info 🙂
Awesome vid! My anteriors are so far behind that I can actually press more with the dumbbells.
9:25 TLDR: Do standing overhead press with dumbbells.
Rotation is key, Weider principle of muscle confusion…though I like the ARNOLD dumbbell press best
Perfectly explained
Duh baah
Curious thought, Scott. What about the strength loss due to more core activation while standing? People are generally stronger while sitting with these motions, more reps and more weight while being seated would build more upper body muscle going by logic. IMHO. So would that overcome the small issues like more posterior delt while standing? More reps while seated makes sense to me.
When the Sam Adams guy isn't doing commercial work, he makes hitting the baahbells look wicked easy
xD
Can I do both , back to back two sets from barbell and two sets from dumbell
WHY don't do both ? First Overhead then Dumbell Press ?
This Is Amazing ❤️