Yep, I've got something very strange for you today...
strange in that it's actually a NORMAL exercise that
I'm going to talk about here :)...

That exercise is the Barbell Shoulder Press (seated or standing, a.k.a.
Military Press) and it's one the best exercises you can do for building
wider-looking, more powerful shoulders.

The problem is, most people do it wrong...or not as correctly as they
could be...

Now, I'm quite sure you've seen this one done before and you've
probably done it many times yourself. What you may not realize is
that there's a lot more to it than just a simple "up and down"
pressing movement. Elbow, head and bar position play a big role in
maximizing the tension on the deltoids...if you do it wrong, you're
missing out on substantial results in strength, mass and definition.

I'm doing these in the rack in a standing position, but these
instructions apply whether it's freestanding or seated.

Grip the barbell just inside your normal bench press grip. Now,
instead of flaring the elbows wide to the sides at the bottom, bring
the elbows forward. This is not only easier on the shoulder structure,
it also sets the stage for the action of the shoulders as you press up.



Begin the press. As you press up and the bar is about to clear your face,
push your elbows backwards.



Once the bar clears your head, push your shoulders back, move your
head forward and lockout the bar directly over the top of your head.



If you were to lower the bar directly down from there, it would land
directly on top of your head:



The actual path of the bar is straight up and down...and on a direct side
view, the bar path should be vertical. It's the elbows and the head that
change position...the elbows start in then flare out as you come to the
top and the head moves forward once the bar is past.

These two form tips will maximize the contraction of the deltoids
(epsecially the rear delts) during the barbell shoulder press movement.

Without these form tweaks, you're going to be primarily pressing with
the front delts and the triceps, which is often a reason why people give
up on this exercise. Once you get that elbow movement and head
movement down, you'll immediately feel the difference in the exercise.

Here's a closer-in view of of the techniques in action.

 



The good news is that if you've never been taught these tips before
and your shoulder strength or development is not what you want, you've
got a whole new world opened up before you...

Using this form while barbell shoulder pressing can have a big impact
on the deltoid muscle stimulation, leading to wider-looking, more
powerful shoulders and stronger, safer pressing.

I've got a full video of this technique in action here on YouTube, if you
want to see the movement being done (it's very helpful, actually).

---

If you're interested in more shoulder training like this, definitely check
out my book "The Best Shoulder Exercises You've Never Heard Of"...

It's got 76 exercises KILLER exercises (and training tips like the one above)
that will get your shoulders growing again!

Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"



P.S. If you know anybody else who might benefit from this
information, feel free to forward this email to them!