Upper body strength training consists of many exercises. The two widely used ones are a military press with a barbell and a shoulder press with dumbbells. The names are often used interchangeably, but they have some differences. In this post, we’ll look at the differences between these popular shoulder exercises in detail.
Definition of Military Press and Shoulder Press
Military press means standing with a stable grip on a barbell and pushing or lifting it overhead. It is a standing exercise for serious shoulder muscle development and has been used traditionally by bodybuilders and those who want to gain muscle mass.
The shoulder press is a simpler exercise for shoulder development than the military press and works comparatively fewer muscles. During this process, you take dumbbells (or machines) in each hand, bend your knees slightly, and lift the weights above your head. Your whole body is used to lift the weights above in a shoulder press, while you only use your upper body in a military press.
Read More: Hypertrophy vs Strength training
Which Muscles Does a Military Press Work?
A military or overhead press targets some of the major muscles in your shoulders. These include:
- Front, lateral, and back parts of the shoulder
- Triceps, or the back of the upper arms
- Chest
This movement also works some other muscles in your upper body, but not as much as the shoulders and triceps. These are your upper back, core (abs), lower back, and legs.
Which Muscles Does a Shoulder Press Work?
Shoulder press with dumbbells exercises many muscles in your shoulder, which include:
- Deltoid, or the top of your shoulder
- Triceps
- Trapezius or upper back
- Core muscles
How to Do a Military Press?
Military press is a compound exercise, which means it works several muscles at the same time in a single movement. To do it, follow these steps:
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a barbell and position it on the front of your shoulders above your collarbone.
- Tighten your abs and squeeze your glutes.
- Use your shoulder strength to press or lift the barbell overhead. Exhale during this movement.
- Extend your arms until the elbows are locked.
- Now, lower the barbell down slowly.
How to Do a Shoulder Press?
A shoulder press can be done in a standing or sitting position. It is also a compound movement and recruits many muscles. Do it as follows:
- Sit on a bench or stand with your feet firmly on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and bend your elbows on your sides.
- Now, tighten your ab muscles.
- Lift your hands to your shoulder height. Make sure that your palms are facing forward.
- When you lift your hands, take a deep exhale.
- Your elbows should be straight before you start bringing your hands down.
Key Differences Between Military Press and Shoulder Press
This table shows the major differences between these movements.
| Feature | Military Press | Shoulder Press |
| Stance | Feet together (narrow base) | Feet hip-width or wider (stable base) |
| Leg used | No | Yes |
| Muscles worked | Deltoids, triceps, upper chest, and abs | Deltoids, triceps, core, and lower back |
| A Weight that can be lifted | Typically less | Typically more |
| Equipment | Barbell | Dumbbells and machines |
| Versatility | Less | Highly because of many variations |
| Ideal for | Shoulder isolation and muscle tension | Total body strength and athletic performance |
Which is Better? Military Press or Shoulder Press
Both military press with barbells and shoulder press with dumbbells are great movements for training the shoulders and upper body. No exercise is better than the other, but it depends on your training goals.
Read More: Dumbbell Tricep Exercises
Advanced and Intermediate vs. Beginner
Advanced lifters or those who want to isolate their shoulders to promote growth should use the military press more often. This is because it minimally recruits lower body muscles and forces just the shoulders and triceps to complete the motion. The shoulder muscle-building tension in a military press with a barbell is a lot more than in a dumbbell push press.
Athletic Performance and Power
The shoulder press is a total body strength movement. So, it helps more with increasing your athletic performance than a military press. generally better. In it, you drive the movement with your legs and use your upper body, so you can lift more and build explosiveness. Athletes in competitive sports like CrossFit, weightlifting, volleyball, and swimming often use the shoulder press to train effectively.
Shoulder Mobility Issues
Dumbbell shoulder presses are better for people with shoulder mobility problems. The flexibility in movement is greater in this exercise than in the military press. Thus, the strain on the shoulders is minimal. Shoulder press facilitates a natural range of motion, and it mimics the natural movement of the body, which leads to the stability of the shoulder joint and muscle.
Safety of Military Press vs. Shoulder Press
Heavy military presses and shoulder presses are often considered risky for people. However, the risk lies in how you perform the movement. If you don’t do either of these exercises with proper form and under the supervision of a trainer (if you are a beginner), the motion is likely to be injurious.
Here are some points to consider when doing military and shoulder press to make the exercise safe:
- The barbell locks your wrists and shoulders into one motion. If there are limitations in your shoulder mobility, the motion may lead to impingement or rotator cuff strain.
- A standing barbell military press places a lot of load on your spine. It necessitates that you have a strong core. Otherwise, you will experience lower back pain.
- The barbell should not be too far forward or behind your head. This is a reason for neck and upper spine stress.
- Beginners doing dumbbell shoulder presses should start with light weights.
- Learn how to balance your body during the lifting and lowering motion in a shoulder press. Otherwise, you won’t be able to control the movement.
- If you feel any pain during the shoulder press, slowly lower the weights and do not perform the exercise.
Concluding Words
Military press and shoulder press are great movements that build the upper body, especially shoulder strength. They differ slightly in the equipment used and how you perform the motion. As a result, the muscles that worked were also slightly different. If you are starting, make sure to consult an expert before including them in your routine. Perform them with proper technique to avoid the risk of injuries.
