Should you be Pressing Overhead? PART 2 (What to do if you can't)

In my last post, I showed you some ways to assess if your overhead position was causing you issues.  Today, I'm going to do my best to help you with a few mobility and strength suggestions.   They hopefully will work wonders on those stuck shoulders.

First things first, you need to be aware of a few form no no's you may be making, especially when the weight starts getting heavy.  A quick overview as it were.  (Review the last post here)

1: YOU'RE PRESSING IN FRONT OF YOUR BODY
The press is a vertical push loaded over the spine. Straight up and straight down...anything other than that creates unwanted shearing forces on the back and shoulders. So press and finish with the bar directly above your neck, with your head through "the window” that you’ve created with your arms up.

2: YOU'RE ARCHING TOO MUCH
Same deal with before.  The press is a vertical push loaded over the spine and an overarched spine is not a safe spine.

 "The fact of the matter is, that without the ROM and stability, no amount of coaching will matter." 

Both are often signs of tight shoulders and the upper thoracic area but are not necessarily limited to those. It could also be tight hips causing a pelvic tilt but we're focusing on the shoulders here, where an insufficient range of motion (ROM) at the shoulder joint can cause the back to overarch as a “cheat” to get the barbell over the right place. 

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T PRESS WITH A BAR?

ONE, WORK ON MOBILITY!  Don't crank on the shoulder.  Work on the muscles surrounding it.  Open up your thoracic like in this photo by hanging off a bar and getting a friend to help but if that's not an option, the easiest thing to do is to grab a broomstick and work on dislocates.  I can guarantee you that your shoulder health and tissue quality will increase from performing these daily. 

It's a big call, but they serve as a great tool for shoulder prehabilitation as well as rehabilitation. I'll give you more on STICK MOBILITY soon.

For those who aren’t acquainted with the shoulder dislocate.  Grab a dowel/stick, resistance band or towel in front of you horizontally, and move your hands from in front of your body to behind your back (PIC 1) . You can also go around to open the lats. (PIC 2 & 3)

The scapula is the king of straight arm strength and overhead stability. A lot of people think that when their arms bend in most straight arm movements, that it’s because of lack of arm strength - when it’s commonly weak or compromised scapula that cause the arms to bend and take the load. The dislocate works the scapula through nearly all of its axis motions - elevation, depression, protraction, retraction, rotation, and some form of tilting.

SOME OTHER STUFF YOU CAN DO.

• This is a great post. It's loaded with quality movements you can use to open up them shoulders. Why You Struggle to Train Overhead – and What to Do About It

• Another fantastic place to start would be with K-Stars Simple 5 way Shoulder .  Grab a band and watch the video then search for even more great mobility fixes on MWOD.

YEAH GREAT BUT I WANT TO PRESS!!!

Waiters walk

Whoa, there, I'm not going to leave you in the lurch.  I won't say to you "Oh well, guess you're going to have to forgo presses till you can get the ROM necessary,".  NO SIR! But know this!

If you can't get into a good position then you need to strengthen in that position safely with something else.  So, to bolster the integrity of the shoulder joint substitutions of waiter's walks (as shown in the photo), the Turkish get up and windmills are prescribed instead. I know it's not a press but




Sorry cupcakes but all too often the presses, jerks and other ballistic overhead movements are rushed into in CrossFit and injury occurs.  I've done it.  The fact of the matter is that without the ROM and stability, no amount of coaching will matter. 

So, once the standard starting position for overhead work is met - rib cage is down, butt tucked in and biceps by the ear - doing overhead isometric work such as waiter’s walks, overhead barbell walks (Pictured - I'm doing lunges) and Turkish Get-ups are great ways to build stability and strength in a safe manner.

Hey don't underestimate the loaded carries as a means to get fit.  Some of the STRONGEST people in the world use these moves to get even stronger.


Here's another great post.  This one has many variations of carries in it.

THE SECRET OF LOADED CARRIES.

Check it out then get moving!  Keep those shoulders healthy. BE AWESOME!!!

Looking for a great workout?  Free download
More great information on exercise and nutrition? Free PDF

Visit www.cherrybombgaragegym.com and sign up for the newsletter.
 To see what we do here at CHERRY BOMB, check us out On our Facebook page.

SHARE * LIKE * SUBSCRIBE