However, many other muscles are recruited, some of the arms and others of the trunk - see below.
The slow forward is an "execution that is anything but simple to learn."Involving more joints and imposing a certain postural control, it requires a lot of attention in the "technical learning, in the possible preliminary conditioning (for example the mobility of the shoulder) and, obviously, in the management of important overloads.
Let's go into detail.
front, trapezius and large dentate in bodybuilding - with further involvement of the brachial triceps (especially the long head but also the lateral head) and the supraspinatus;Like the squat, the deadlift (deadlift), the bench press (bench presses) and the various rowers (bent over row or barbel row), even the slow forward should be considered as an "execution almost" aimed at itself "; in the sense that:
- it is undoubtedly a fundamental exercise (for the subject who does not show contraindications);
- does not effectively isolate the anterior shoulder;
- trains intensely a complex, multi-joint and multiple motor action gesture.
But be careful, we are not saying that, on the deltoid, the military press has a lower training impact than other single-joint exercises; something else, both in the hypertrophic stimulus and in the search for strength, the multi-articulars always have "an edge".
This is because they allow you to use greater overloads and to recruit more districts; that said, if the goal were deltoid isolation, the shoulder press may not be the most appropriate solution.
Also, for "high systemic fatigue - compared to other shoulder exercises, of course - the slow forward should always be placed at the beginning of the routine, not at the end." If you are working at failure and the table includes other muscle groups (chest and / or triceps), the positioning of the military press in the pattern could be problematic.
For further information: Shoulder Training with barbell.
The legs are naturally extended, but the knees must not be hyperextended - the difference seems subtle, but in the first case the support is muscular, in the second joint.
The feet are slightly apart (not one in front of the other) about shoulder-width apart, naturally facing forward and, to some degree, outwards.
The barbell grip is prone (palms forward) and the hands placed far enough apart to keep them out of the profile of the shoulders.
After detaching from the supports, the barbell touches the handlebar of the sternum (height of the collarbones) and the forearms are under it. It is important to understand that, in vertical press exercises, the humerus is never parallel to the chest, but always about 30 ° beyond the anterior edge of the torso - therefore slightly forward. In fact, retracting the arms would further complicate abduction. requiring a decidedly excessive lumbar compensation.
Attention! Without proper adduction and scapular depression (scapular activation) and stabilization of the core - the entire abdominal and spinal girdle, including correct diaphragmatic inspiration and relative tightness with the glottis closed in the thrust phase - it is not possible to gain the postural solidity necessary for " execution.
Here begins the push upwards, which must never require the involvement of the girls, and imposes a very fine control of the movement.
The barbell does not rise straight and perpendicular, but draws a "comma"; from attached to the chest, as it rises it moves away from the neck up to the height of the forehead and then returns to the vertical.
With complete ROM, the shoulders and elbows will be fully extended, as will a relative lumbar extension; the shoulder blades will pass from the depressed and adducted position to the elevated one, and thus must be maintained until eccentric inversion.
Segmentation and technical clarifications on the thrust
The slow forward movement is a movement that allows a great involvement of the scapulo-humeral girdle (shoulder), but also of the humerus-radio-ulna joint (elbow).
The essential slow forward movements are:
- abduction of the humerus from 0 to 180 °;
- extension of the forearm from 0 to 140 °;
There is not much to say about "forearm extension"; all the main rules on safeguarding the elbow apply, more fully described in exercises with greater load such as bench presses or all isolation extensions (such as the French press). ).
On the "abduction, however, the discussion becomes more complicated. We could fragment this movement into 3 parts:
- From 0 ° to 80-90 °, in which the deltoid and supraspinatus mainly intervene; in this phase the head of the humerus moves with a certain freedom;
- From 80-90 ° up to 150 °, in which the trapezius and the large dentate also significantly intervene to make the scapula rotate laterally;
- From 150 ° to 180 °, in which the spinal muscles of the back are significantly activated, allowing an increase in lumbar curvature.
It depends; in the sense that the joint load on the shoulder and the lumbar compensation of the slow back are very high even in healthy subjects.
Many technicians exclude it a priori from the tables, as a disclaimer.
Can the military press be done by anyone? If not, who should avoid it?
The military press, like any other exercise, should be avoided by those who complain of pain during the execution and / or by those suffering from anatomical-functional alterations of the shoulder, elbow and sometimes of the back, directly involved in the gesture.
The most frequent cases are related to:
- Poor joint mobility of the glenohumeral (from capsule stiffness or poor muscle flexibility, for example of the pectoral minor);
- Reduced subacromial space and possible impingement syndrome;
- Elbow problems, such as epicondylitis;
- Hyperlordosis, especially associated with painful symptoms (low back pain).
