You will have heard that to construct “boulder” shoulders, you need to concentrate on entrance, aspect, and rear dumbbell raises. 

That’s nonsense.

Whereas these workouts have their advantages, the actual key to constructing shoulder mass and energy is vertical push workouts.

These workouts prepare all three heads of your delts whereas additionally creating a number of different main higher physique muscle teams, together with your chest, arms, and higher again.

Which vertical press workouts work finest? Listed here are my high six:

1. Standing barbell overhead press
2. Seated barbell overhead press
3. Standing dumbbell overhead press
4. Shoulder press
5. Arnold press
6. Machine shoulder press

On this article, you’ll be taught why these workouts are so efficient, perceive easy methods to carry out them for max development, and uncover extra tricks to take your shoulder coaching to the following degree.

Key Takeaways

• A vertical push train is a energy coaching motion the place you press in opposition to resistance vertically (in an up-and-down path).
• One of the best vertical push workouts are the standing and seated barbell overhead press, standing dumbbell overhead press, Arnold press, and each the dumbbell and machine shoulder press.
• Vertical push workouts construct higher physique muscle, improve practical energy, and enhance shoulder stability.
• Vertical push workouts primarily prepare your shoulders and triceps, although additionally they assist develop your higher chest and higher again.

What Is a Vertical Push Train?

A vertical push train (or “vertical press train”) is any energy coaching motion the place you press in opposition to resistance vertically (in an up-and-down path). In virtually all circumstances, this implies urgent a weight overhead.

The one exceptions are body weight vertical push workouts just like the pike push-up or handstand push-up. In these workouts, you place your physique virtually perpendicular to the ground, supporting your weight in your palms. 

You decrease your physique by bending your elbows, then push via your arms to return to the beginning place:

6 Finest Vertical Push Workout routines for Shoulder Mass and Power

1. Standing Barbell Overhead Press

Why: The standing barbell overhead press is the king of pushing shoulder workouts. It trains your entrance, aspect, and rear delts, in addition to the rotator cuff, providing you with a full shoulder exercise in a single train. Plus, as a result of it lets you raise heavy weights and progress frequently, it’s excellent for including mass and constructing energy in your shoulders.

How:

1. Set a barbell in a rack on the identical top as your higher chest. 
2. Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms dealing with away from you.
3. Unrack the barbell, step backward, and plant your ft simply outdoors of shoulder width.
4. Push the bar towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
5. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

RELATED: The Finest Full Shoulder Exercises for Constructing Measurement and Mass

2. Seated Barbell Overhead Press

Why: The seated barbell overhead press is nice for constructing shoulder mass as a result of it doesn’t require as a lot core stability because the standing model. This lets you raise heavier weights and progress sooner, making it probably the greatest higher physique vertical push workouts for packing on shoulder dimension and energy.

How:

1. Arrange an upright bench in a squat rack or use a seated barbell overhead press station.
2. Set a barbell within the rack at about shoulder top when standing.
3. Sit down and grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms dealing with away from you.
4. Unrack the barbell and decrease it to your collarbone.
5. Press the bar towards the ceiling and return to the beginning place.

3. Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press

Why: Analysis reveals that the standing dumbbell overhead press trains all three heads of the deltoids extra successfully than most different overhead presses. This makes it a superb vertical press train for constructing balanced shoulder mass and energy.

How:

1. Stand upright along with your ft shoulder-width aside and a dumbbell in every hand. 
2. Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply above your shoulders along with your palms dealing with away from you.
3. Press the dumbbells towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
4. Decrease the dumbbells and return to the beginning place.

4. Shoulder Press

Why: The seated dumbbell shoulder press is extra steady than the standing model as a result of the bench helps your again. This makes it simpler to raise heavier weights safely, aiding muscle and energy achieve.

How:

1. Sit on an upright bench and maintain a dumbbell in every hand, resting them in your thighs. 
2. Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply above your shoulders along with your palms dealing with away from you.
3. Press the dumbbells towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
4. Decrease the dumbbells and return to the beginning place.

5. Arnold Press

Why: The Arnold press contributes to well-rounded shoulder mass by emphasizing your aspect delts greater than different overhead urgent variations. In different phrases, it’s a fantastic vertical push train for these wanting so as to add width to their delts.

How:

1. Sit on an upright bench and maintain a dumbbell in every hand, resting them in your thighs.
2. Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply in entrance of your shoulders along with your palms dealing with you.
3. Press the dumbbells straight overhead whereas rotating your wrists till your arms are straight and your palms are dealing with away from you.
4. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

RELATED: The Arnold Cut up: Construct Muscle Like Schwarzenegger

6. Machine Shoulder Press

Why: The machine shoulder press requires much less coordination than most different pushing shoulder workouts, which makes it a stable vertical press possibility for freshmen. It’s additionally a good selection for superior weightlifters wanting so as to add extra shoulder quantity (units) on the finish of a exercise once they’re already fatigued, because it’s usually much less taxing than free-weight vertical push workouts.

How:

1. Alter the shoulder press machine’s seat so the handles are about the identical top as your ears, then sit down.
2. Grip the handles along with your palms dealing with away from you, then press them towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
3. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

Advantages of Vertical Press Workout routines

Elevated Higher Physique Measurement

Vertical urgent workouts prepare most main muscle teams above you waist, together with your shoulders, triceps, higher again, and higher chest, making them best for gaining all-around higher physique dimension. 

They’re additionally excellent for making use of progressive overload (regularly rising the burden you raise over time), which is important for constructing muscle and energy.

Improved Purposeful Power

Vertical pushing energy is essential for numerous on a regular basis actions, akin to lifting objects overhead, putting issues on excessive cabinets, or pushing one thing above you. Vertical push workouts make it easier to construct the muscle tissue concerned in these actions, so that they really feel extra manageable. 

Enhanced Shoulder Well being

The intricate community of muscle tissue, tendons, and ligaments in your shoulders offers them a formidable vary of movement, however this flexibility additionally makes them extra weak to harm in comparison with different joints.

Vertical push workouts strengthen the muscle tissue that stabilize and assist the shoulder, just like the deltoids and rotator cuff. Coaching these muscle tissue improves shoulder stability, making the joint extra resilient and fewer liable to harm.

RELATED: The 7 Finest Methods to Repair and Forestall Shoulder Ache

Muscle groups Labored by Vertical Push Workout routines

The principle muscle labored by workouts that contain pushing vertically are:

• Deltoids (entrance, aspect, rear)
• Triceps
• Pectoralis main (primarily the “higher pecs”)
• Trapezius

Vertical pushes additionally prepare your rotator cuff muscle tissue and core to a lesser diploma.

Right here’s how the primary muscle tissue labored look in your physique:

FAQ #1: Are dips a vertical push train?

No, dips are a horizontal push train. Vertical push workouts contain urgent weight overhead, just like the overhead press or shoulder press. That stated, dips and vertical push workouts prepare most of the identical muscle tissue, particularly the shoulders. 

READ MORE: An Skilled Information to the Muscle groups Labored by Dips

FAQ #2: Are lateral raises a vertical push train?

No, lateral raises aren’t vertical push workouts. They aim the aspect delts, which you additionally work throughout vertical pushes, however they contain lifting the arms out to the edges slightly than urgent overhead.

READ MORE: Find out how to Do Lateral Raises: Kind, Errors, & Variations

FAQ #3: Are you able to do vertical push workouts at residence?

Sure, you are able to do vertical push workouts at residence. If you happen to’re a newbie, the pike push-up is an efficient vertical push train that mimics an overhead press utilizing your physique weight. Right here’s the way it seems:

If you happen to’re extra superior, strive the handstand push-up. It’s a harder vertical press that requires vital shoulder energy and steadiness: