What do you guys think of Arnold presses?

[Jake LaMotta]

What do you guys think of Arnold presses? Are they good for building the front and side delts? Are they as good as seated overhead dumbbell presses? Also, are they safer to do than seated overhead dumbbell presses (in terms of the shoulder/rotator cuff not getting as irritated)?

 

[nosmas]

What do you guys think of Arnold presses? Are they good for building the front and side delts? Are they as good as seated overhead dumbbell presses? Also, are they safer to do than seated overhead dumbbell presses (in terms of the shoulder/rotator cuff not getting as irritated)?

I like um. I incorportate the Arnold in every other shoulder day as a final burn. I use a more moderate weight and go for high reps untill I start to cry a little bit. I dont do them when Im fat (like now) because I like them more as a sculpting ex.

 

[oldfella]

I personally am not a big fan of arnold presses. I believe they actually put more strain on rotators than straight ovehead pressing. The thiong is I have seen many people try to emulate an arnold press and all they end up doing is turning the wrists not rotating the elbows from in front of you and then out to the sides while pressing overhead. I have tried them and they cause the wrong kind of pain for me. They are more a front delt worker than medial delts. That's my opinion though. I am currently building my shoulders with out overhead pressing at all. I am very pleased with the pain free progress my delts are making!

 

[lionel]

i agree

I personally am not a big fan of arnold presses. I believe they actually put more strain on rotators than straight ovehead pressing. The thiong is I have seen many people try to emulate an arnold press and all they end up doing is turning the wrists not rotating the elbows from in front of you and then out to the sides while pressing overhead. I have tried them and they cause the wrong kind of pain for me. They are more a front delt worker than medial delts. That's my opinion though. I am currently building my shoulders with out overhead pressing at all. I am very pleased with the pain free progress my delts are making!

Most people go too heavy on them. Its more of an 'outward' press then a straight up/down press like the DB/BB militaries. Like oldfella said, your elbows have to move in a semi circle arc outwards first then back in while rotating your wrists at the same time for the exercise to be safe and beneficial.

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

I've tried them, and eehhh it was ok. Thats about it.

 

[oldfella]

I've tried them, and eehhh it was ok. Thats about it.

Hey BOOM, what's up with the avatar..........she's wearin a bit much don't ya think?!!!!LOL............ Nice one bro!

 

[Kaiser]

As oldfella said, bad on the rotator cuff.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

I personally am not a big fan of arnold presses. I believe they actually put more strain on rotators than straight ovehead pressing.

As oldfella said, bad on the rotator cuff.

I heard the opposite...that Arnold presses are actually SAFER for your rotator cuff. Does anyone know what is in fact safer for your rotator cuff, Arnold presses or seated overhead dumbbell presses? And can someone please give an explanation as to why one is safer on your rotator cuff than the other?

 

[Conan21]

Arnold Presses

IMO, The dumbest Shoulder exercise a person could do. The only cool thing about Arnold presses is the name.

what are people trying to do with this movement? Front delts? side delts? look cool?

 

[donveto]

Arnold Presses

IMO, The dumbest Shoulder exercise a person could do. The only cool thing about Arnold presses is the name.

what are people trying to do with this movement? Front delts? side delts? look cool?

I think this sums it up

I used to do them with heavy dbs and my cuff would kill and pop all day.
I then changed it up to light dbs , high reps as a finisher every now and then .
Done with light weight and done correct you can get a burn..BIG WHOOP hold a plate in front of you for a minute and u get the same feeling.

I avoid them all together now

 

[Kaiser]

I heard the opposite...that Arnold presses are actually SAFER for your rotator cuff. Does anyone know what is in fact safer for your rotator cuff, Arnold presses or seated overhead dumbbell presses? And can someone please give an explanation as to why one is safer on your rotator cuff than the other?

Now, thinking logically, how could they be safer when Arnold presses include normal dumbell presses in their movement? That just makes no sense.

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

Hey BOOM, what's up with the avatar..........she's wearin a bit much don't ya think?!!!!LOL............ Nice one bro!

She was coming to bed with cold cheeks, so I had to cover them a little!

 

[thebrick]

also, if you are having rotator cuff problems, barbell presses are safer since the bar held by both hands provides more stability and support to the joint than pressing a dumbell in one hand would.

 

[Kaiser]

also, if you are having rotator cuff problems, barbell presses are safer since the bar held by both hands provides more stability and support to the joint than pressing a dumbell in one hand would.

That's one time I disagree with ya Brick. Barbell stops lateral movement and the natural flow of your anatomy. In other words, it forces your arms to stay at a certain distance apart while going throught the movement. It stops the anatomic movement.

 

[g1golo]

I just did some on Monday because the press machines were busy and I was in a rush. Very light, slow, controlled, and high reps. It felt like my rotors were unstable and very vulnerable to injury. But today when I woke up I had a nice strain in my delts like I have not had in a while. I guess I will do them about once a month the same way I did them on Monday. Good change.

 

[astrolifter]

It seems like the best way to do presses while minimizing stress to the joint, rotator cuffs, is to push them up with the palms facing each other.

 

[oldfella]

The safest and best way to press is just that. Overhead military style presses. These are the best for rotators. Overhead d/b presses fit the bill. You just have to be careful when trying to press big! it is the action of bringing the weights up to shoulder height that causes the damage. You do not want to rotate your shoulders at all while pressing any appreciable weight. Straight up and straight down. Behind the neck is not good at all for rotators It causes external rotation of the ball at the top of your humerus and puts enormous strain on all the rotators.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

What about NEUTRAL GRIP seated overhead dumbbell presses?

It seems like the best way to do presses while minimizing stress to the joint, rotator cuffs, is to push them up with the palms facing each other.

astrolifter had a good point. What about these:

**broken link removed**

If I were to do standard overhead dumbbell/barbell presses right now, my shoulder would hurt. However if I do Arnold presses or overhead dumbbell presses using a neutral grip, I have no shoulder pain at all.

What do you guys think of doing seated overhead dumbbell presses using a neutral grip? And if I were to do them I would have my palms facing each other and I would just push straight up and down. I would go up to just before lock out and than I would come down to about ear level. Any of you fellas ever do these with good results?

One last thing, do seated overhead dumbbell presses using a neutral grip work your middle delts at all or do they just work your front delts?