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Shoulder Overhead Press. To sit or stand?

morgan000 said:
just out of interest, do you guys do a full lock at the top or stop short enough so the tension is still on the shoulders? I'm thinking bodybuilding here, not powerlifting. When I do a full lock out, there is no tension on my shoulders and its all in my triceps so now I stop short so the tension is always on the shoulders. Just wondering what others think.
Click to expand...
I never do full lock.
 
Standing feels safer for me on my back and the first few times I tried them seated I lost the weight backwards and hurt my shoulder.

It just never feels right for me. Personal preference. No point fucking around with an exercise that doesn't feel right when you have a perfectly good substitute.

I always lock out. Don't see the point in not completing the rep fully.
 
This seated or standing stuff I liken to squatting and leg pressing, both leg exercises.

the, this versus that talk is silly.
 
Silverback said:
No I did not say greater force on the spine.

The force (on the IVD's)will be the same, in seated and standing (on the spine).

I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm mererly pointing out the differences.

The other side of the argument is that the torso will recieve no stimulation when seated.
No stimulation, no strength increase.

With the standing press there is slight movement of the torso, there needs to be.
Click to expand...

"All things being equal and if you are pushing 120kg (seated) over-head, do you think there would be less, more or the same amount of force on the hip/lwr back?"

I must have misinterpreted this as meaning there would be greater force while seated.

Anyway as with everything, risk v reward is my number one consideration, and in this instance seated wins on a number of fronts (including it takes a lot less gay to spot someone when they are seated).
 
I will normally do seated simply because its harder but have started doing standing a lot more over the last few weeks - change it up...

Seated is is def a safer option for a lower back point of view - I changed to seated when I had my lower back issues and it takes it pretty much out of the lift - seated is a lot more purely focused on delt/front delt where standing can bring in lower back/leg drive etc - even if your not meaning to do it.
 
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Both BB & DB, I'm the odd one out, sitting.
Sitting cos I move more weight, hit the shockers better, when I train shoulders that's the muscle I focus on, not bit of shoulders and bit of abs as it is with standing.
 
I'm the same, used to vary between standing and seated but I can lift more weight seated so that's what I usually do. I want to lift max weight to hit the shoulders.
 
I feel the standing overhead press works the shoulders better. Personally it's because the barbell has a lower starting position and I don't lock out at the top, so the muscles are under constant tension. With the seated press with dumbbells, you seem to start above the shoulders and lock out at the top. This is just me however. If you have super strict form, both will do an excellent job at working the shoulders. I do agree that standing lets you cheat a bit by using your core and legs, but you're still using your shoulders to get the bar up.
 
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