Behind-the-Neck Press: The Fact About This Controversial Shoulder Train

The behind-the-neck press developed a bad-boy repute for legit causes. The “high-five” abduction, externally rotated behind your head, places the shoulder in a weak place. That’s why it’s lumped into the “by no means do it” class sooner than you possibly can say rotator cuff.

In the event you’re not a match for this train, it’s a shoulder situation ready to occur. That makes the behind-the-neck press a selective raise. Selective lifts are likely to get trashed due to the excessive risk-to-reward ratio.

The true query isn’t whether or not the behind-the-neck press is evil. The query is whether or not the individual utilizing it has the mobility, management, and customary sense to make the chance value it. Like many maligned workout routines, the issue isn’t that the motion is ineffective—it’s that individuals fail to deal with it just like the superior shoulder builder it truly is. Let’s dive in, with some assist from Matt Wenning of Wenning Energy, and see if the behind-the-neck press is for you.

Why the Behind-the-Neck Press Has a Unhealthy Fame

Behind-the-neck presses get no love as a result of it requires the shoulders to do one thing many lifters can’t do effectively: press overhead behind the neck from an kidnapped, externally rotated place. That’s rather a lot to deal with if shoulder mobility is missing, thoracic extension is lacking, or the lifter is hyperextending their decrease again to get the bar into place.

“The shoulder already provides up stability for mobility,” explains Wenning. “Forcing excessive exterior rotation and overhead abduction can create issues for lifters who lack thoracic mobility, scapular upward rotation, or shoulder well being.”

It typically will get crushed by guilt-by-association. You could have seen the ugliest model of this train: an excessive amount of weight, the bar slamming behind the top, the neck jutting ahead, the ribs flaring, and the elbows everywhere. If you witness that, it’s straightforward to determine the motion itself is the issue.

Entrance presses, dumbbell presses, landmine presses, and machine presses all practice the shoulders with much less technical demand and fewer drama. Then folks begin asking a good query: why trouble? That’s precisely why this train retains ending up on the fitness center

hitlist. It isn’t as a result of it’s ineffective. It’s as a result of its margin for error is smaller, and for that cause, many keep away from it.

However what do the skilled consider it?

What Science Says Concerning the Behind-the-Neck Shoulder Press

Science doesn’t give us a clear-cut reply, nevertheless it does give us a greater image of who this raise is for and why it will get side-eye. This examine of weight-trained people discovered that lifters with medical traits of anterior shoulder instability and hyperlaxity reported extra frequent use of shoulder-loading workout routines within the so-called “high-five” place.

Remember that affiliation doesn’t show that the behind-the-neck press is the reason for this. One other examine evaluating the back and front overhead presses discovered that the again overhead press elevated involvement of the lateral and posterior deltoids.

That very same examine additionally reported that barbell urgent produced higher muscle engagement than machine urgent. That issues as a result of it suggests the behind-the-neck press shouldn’t be merely a riskier model of the usual press; it could present a definite shoulder-building stimulus, particularly for lifters searching for extra side- and rear-delt growth.

Analysis doesn’t inform the entire story, nevertheless it means that the behind-the-neck press is neither inherently ineffective nor mechanically harmful. It’s a specialised urgent variation with a definite coaching impact and a smaller margin for error.

The true takeaway is that this: The behind-the-neck press shouldn’t be a default raise. It’s a conditional one.

Who Ought to Keep away from the Behind-the-Neck Press?

The behind-the-neck press is way from excellent, and listed here are a couple of good causes to not place the barbell behind your head.

Shoulder Mobility Calls for

To do it effectively, you want ample shoulder exterior rotation, abduction management, and thoracic extension to get the bar behind the top with out turning the rep right into a circus act. That could be a downside as a result of many lifters lack that mixture. As a substitute of proudly owning the place, they compensate by overarched the decrease again, flaring the ribs, or jutting the top ahead to clear the bar. As soon as that begins taking place, the raise stops coaching the shoulders and as a substitute exposes issues.

Pointless Shoulder Stress Analysis on weight-trained people discovered that workout routines utilizing the “high-five” place, which the behind-the-neck press places you in, have been related to medical indicators of anterior shoulder instability and hyperlaxity.

Smaller Margin for Error

The behind-the-neck press punishes poor thoracic mobility, weak scapular management, a sloppy bar path, or an outsized ego. “Repeated overhead loading in compromised positions,” says Wenning. “Can improve shoulder mileage, contribute to impingement signs, irritate comfortable tissues, and create issues each short- and long-term.”

That’s a part of what makes the raise so controversial. It isn’t simply that it may possibly really feel awkward; the results of unhealthy approach arrive sooner.

There Are Simpler Options

Most lifters can construct sturdy, muscular shoulders with common overhead-press variations, landmine presses, and machine presses. These lifts require much less mobility, much less technical precision, and fewer braveness than placing a barbell behind your head. That makes the behind-the-neck press optionally available, however optionally available doesn’t imply nugatory.

Subsequent are three the reason why you need to do it.

Advantages of the Behind-the-Neck Press

To date, I’ve given you each cause to not do it. Listed below are the advantages that can make you suppose twice.

Hits the Facet and Rear Delts Otherwise

The behind-the-neck press trains the shoulders otherwise from the usual press. Analysis evaluating each lifts discovered that the behind-the-neck overhead press elevated engagement of the medial and posterior deltoids, whereas the entrance model engaged the pectoralis main extra. That provides the behind-the-neck press a professional argument for lifters chasing broader shoulders.

It Exposes Weak Hyperlinks Quick

You may’t repair an issue you haven’t uncovered. This raise requires thoracic and shoulder mobility, in addition to the flexibility of the shoulder blades to rotate upward. If any of those is a matter, the behind-the-neck press will reveal it. That isn’t all the time a foul factor. Generally an train is effective as a result of it reveals you the place your weak hyperlinks are so to appropriate them.

It Can Enhance Energy and Management in a Sport-Particular Overhead Place

For sure lifters, the behind-the-neck press affords greater than a delt pump. It strengthens a place they should personal. Olympic lifters, throwing athletes, and skilled overhead trainees typically want to supply or management pressure with the shoulders kidnapped and externally rotated. The behind-the-neck press builds power, stability, confidence, and improved efficiency in that place. For the appropriate athlete, it may be a focused solution to get stronger precisely the place efficiency calls for it.

Who It’s For and Who Ought to Skip It

Is that this raise for you? Let’s discover out.

Who’s It for

• Skilled lifters who’ve the shoulder mobility, thoracic extension, and bar management to personal the ‘high-five’ place.
• Olympic lifters, sure throwing athletes, and superior overhead trainees who want power and stability in that kidnapped, externally rotated “behind the neck” place.
• Hypertrophy-focused lifters who tolerate the motion effectively and desire a urgent variation that will bias the medial and posterior delts extra.

Who’s it not for

• Freshmen, as a result of it isn’t a learn-to-press motion.
• Lifters with a historical past of shoulder instability, hyperlaxity, impingement signs, or ache in kidnapped and externally rotated positions must also depart this one alone.

Threat vs. Reward: Is the Behind-the-Neck Press Price It?

The behind-the-neck press sits within the high-risk, moderate-to-high reward class.

The danger is not only that the raise appears awkward. It’s a place that locations vital demand on the shoulders, higher again, and the lifter’s means to manage the bar path underneath load. In the event you lack shoulder mobility, thoracic extension, or stability in that kidnapped and externally rotated place, the raise can go from a sophisticated shoulder-builder to a foul thought in a rush.

However the reward is actual for the appropriate individual. The behind-the-neck press offers a special coaching stimulus than the usual entrance press, with the lateral and posterior delts getting extra motion. That provides it a professional hypertrophy argument for lifters chasing broader shoulders. It additionally provides some superior overhead athletes a solution to construct power and management ready their sport or lifting fashion calls for.

It isn’t a default press, however it isn’t forbidden both. In case you have the mobility and the management, the reward could justify the chance. If you don’t, the behind-the-neck press turns into a kind of lifts the place the draw back reveals up lengthy earlier than the upside.

Ultimate Verdict

This isn’t a raise for newbies, these with shoulder points, or anybody who has to twist themselves into place to finish the rep. The considerations mentioned above are actual.

However writing it off misses the opposite half of the story. It’s nice for overhead athletes and Olympic lifters who want power and management in that place; the behind-the-neck press will be greater than an old-school stunt. It may be a focused device. Plus. In the event you can deal with it, it provides your shoulders a special stimulus.

The behind-the-neck press shouldn’t be unhealthy as a result of it’s nugatory. Folks malign it as a result of too many lifters pressure a sophisticated motion with insufficient mobility, poor management, and a barbell they haven’t any enterprise loading. However in the appropriate fingers and on the appropriate shoulders, it’s nonetheless a professional shoulder builder.