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December 2000
The question-of-the-month
for December comes from Michael in Indiana, a baseball player who
asks about military presses. His question is:
Dear Mike:
I've heard that the
military press is bad on your shoulders, especially on the rotator cuff.
If this is so, what is an exercise I can use as a replacement for this.
Thank you.
Dear Michael:
Thanks for your question. A large
percentage of people in my gym have had a shoulder injury at one time or
another. Unfortunately, it seems to be a common injury.
However, some of these injures could possibly be prevented with smarter
training principles. I do not recommend doing military
presses BEHIND THE HEAD/NECK. It is okay to do military presses to
the front which will work the shoulders just as well. Another
exercise you can do for shoulders that is a similar movement to the
military press is over-the-head dumbbell presses.
While we are on the subject of exercises
to avoid, I have listed below a few more pertaining to
shoulders, as well as other body parts. AVOID the following:
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Military presses on the smith machine
(front or back). |
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Bench presses on the smith machine. |
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Lat pulldowns behind the head. |
Thanks again for your question, Michael.
I hope you found the information helpful and I clearly answered your
question.
As always, don't forget to visit the Past
Qs & As and my Training
Tips section for more great tips and training info.
Until next month, train hard and stay
healthy.
Mike Francois
Do you have a training question for Mike?
If so, visit our Ask Mike section
and submit your question.
Note: Before
embarking on any nutrition, supplementation, and/or training
program, consult with your physician or other licensed
health-care professional.
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