< strong>BarbellShoulder Press: Bar Grip Techniques!
The barbell shoulder press (standing) is one of the best exercises for developing upper body muscle strength. It is often used together with the barbell bench press as an indicator of upper limb training.
But the shoulder press is indeed a difficult movement! It’s not easy to do well! There are a lot of details to master! And today we are going to introduce the technique of holding the bar!
The bar grip technique is very important in the shoulder press! When you start a movement with good form, it will be easier for you to execute it with correct form throughout the movement.
The following are several key questions:
1. Place the barbell!
A safe and effective way to perform a standing shoulder press is to use a squat rack. You don’t want to have to lift the weight off the ground every time you shoulder press, do you? The position of the bar is almost at the sternum, which is about the same height as the squat position
2. Grip distance
The width of your grip and your bones It’s related to structure, there is no standard grip distance! But there is a reference standard: the forearm must be almost vertical to the ground (viewed from the front and side). This is the best mechanical posture for barbell shoulder press!
If the forearms are not perpendicular to the ground (too wide or too narrow), this will cause unnecessary moments in the bar grip, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. The extra torque will spread your strength, and it will also require you to exert extra effort to prevent the barbell from falling forward or backward.
Some people will experience shoulder discomfort when pushing up with a too narrow grip, because the space under the acromion will become smaller and the risk of pinching is higher.
Remember your optimal bar grip distance so you can quickly find it every time you practice.
3. Grip
There are generally two grips:
a. The palm of the hand is parallel to the bar, and a full grip is used. way to grab the barbell. However, when most people lift the barbell, the barbell is not directly above the wrist bones (which can easily cause wrist compression).
You need to turn your palms forward and point your thumbs toward your feet. The landing point of the bar should be close to the lifeline. After aligning, tighten the bar firmly with your fingers , this will make the bar fall on the lower edge of the palm and directly above the wrist when it is lifted, which is conducive to exerting force and the wrist will be less painful.
b. Virtual grip: Damu site. After the bar
This kind of grip is generally not recommended for beginners, but it does not rule out that some people will find this grip more comfortable
4. Grip the barbell tightly
The tighter the grip, the more it will help improve your shoulder stability. When you grip the barbell tightly, You help recruit surrounding muscle groups, which is the so-called "Law of Irradiation"
Irradiation refers to "when a muscle contracts strongly and exerts force, it recruits adjacent muscles to participate together." ability. "If you make a fist and squeeze it hard enough, you can feel the tension going up your arm and activating your biceps, triceps, and shoulder muscles.
5. Side view Position of the elbow
When viewed from the side, it is recommended that the elbow be a little in front of the bar, because This will make the radius more perpendicular to the ground. Many people put their elbows directly under or behind the bar, so that the bar will move upwards while pushing up.The tendency to run forward, especially in new lifters, often results in overextending the lower back to complete the movement. Causes lower back!
Do not raise or open your elbows excessively. Excessive scapula forwarding will cause the muscle tension around the scapula to disappear and lose stability, and the efficiency of pushing will also be reduced. Excessive splaying will prevent the forearm from being perpendicular to the ground. .