| I will start this article with a disclaimer. If you have | | | | suited to this extreme range of movement or the |
| shoulder joint pain, front deltoid or rotor cuff injuries | | | | capacity to attain this level of flexibility. To continue on |
| leaving you with pain and reduced mobility and limited | | | | would be foolhardy and stupid because this kind of |
| flexibility in your shoulder joints or problems with | | | | pain does not lead to gain, but chronic injury, listen to |
| shoulder dislocation you should probably pass on | | | | your body. |
| behind the neck press and behind the neck pulldown. | | | | If you have the necessary flexibility you still must be |
| If you are sound in this respect then these two | | | | careful to keep in complete control of the poundage |
| exercises may be worth a closer look because of | | | | involved through the full range of motion, never letting |
| their ability to more effectively stimulate the entire | | | | the weight dictate how fast the bar moves or pulling |
| shoulder girdle, bringing much more side and rear | | | | you out of perfect form. Do not use a weight that is |
| deltoid involvement into play as well as the upper and | | | | too heavy, allowing only low reps up to eight, instead |
| mid trapezius while making it easier to maintain a good | | | | choose a weight that allows between twelve to |
| arch in the lower back because the bar travels in a | | | | fifteen reps on the first set, if you do two or three |
| straight vertical line with the top of the shoulders, | | | | sets, keep the weight the same and you will be |
| allowing for complete stretch and contraction of all | | | | working your muscles with a varied rep range from |
| muscles involved, greatly increasing flexibility in the | | | | fifteen to eight but in safety because your muscles |
| shoulder joints and allowing the elbows to be held | | | | are tired by the first sets of higher reps so that you |
| straight out to the sides to give a more solid and stable | | | | are using a lighter weight for reps as low as eight than |
| base to push or pull from, this in turn allows you to | | | | you would be if you started out with a heavier weight |
| keep your chest high without having to fight to hold this | | | | for eight on your first set. |
| position as you do when pushing or pulling with the bar | | | | You end up with more time under tension, higher blood |
| in front of you with the weight pulling you forward. | | | | supply to the muscles with less trauma on the joints. |
| These exercises carry a higher chance of injury due | | | | The full range of motion possible for behind neck press |
| to the extreme range of motion possible and the use | | | | is from touching the base of your upper traps as it |
| of heavy weight in reckless form and have gotten a | | | | would rest for barbell squats to full extension at arms |
| bad rap over the years, causing trainers to steer their | | | | length above and slightly behind the line of your head |
| clients clear from them, which is a shame because | | | | with a slightly wider than shoulder width hand grip. |
| they can add so much to developing really outstanding | | | | The placement of this exercise is most advantageous |
| shoulder development. | | | | and effective as a finishing move after more isolated |
| If the trainer was more confident and less ignorant in | | | | front and side deltoid exercises such as front raises, |
| their ability to teach proper form and execution of | | | | side laterals, and high pulls and before chest training so |
| these two movements there would be less unfounded | | | | that the triceps remain fresh until called upon to push |
| fear and trepidation in using them. The number one rule | | | | the front and side deltoids past normal failure, driving |
| is not to force a joint past what it can comfortably | | | | the growth stimulation to the bone. |
| handle and second and just as important is to warm | | | | The full range of motion possible for behind the neck |
| up thoroughly, doing three to five warmup sets with a | | | | pulldown is at full stretch with arms straight above and |
| weight heavy enough to warm and loosen the | | | | slightly behind the line of your head to the bar touching |
| muscles and joints, pumping blood into the areas but | | | | the base of your traps as it would for barbell squats |
| not exhaust the muscles for the work sets to follow. | | | | with a full contraction of all back muscles, traps, and |
| On the first warmup set do not try to reach full range | | | | rear delts with a wider than shoulder width hand grip. |
| of motion. As your muscles and joints warm up you | | | | The placement of this exercise is best after more |
| will be able to increase the degree of flexibility with | | | | isolated rear deltoid and trapezius exercises such as |
| each succeeding warmup set until you can go from full | | | | bent over laterals, bent over reverse flys, and shrugs |
| stretch to full contraction with ease and no discomfort. | | | | and before back training so that the biceps remain |
| At first you may not be able to achieve full range but | | | | fresh until called upon to push the rear deltoids and |
| just keep practicing and with time you will grow more | | | | traps past normal failure, driving growth stimulation to |
| flexible. In the meantime just work to the edge of | | | | the bone. |
| discomfort, not past it and let your body adapt at its | | | | With care and attention to detail these two exercises |
| own speed. Some people may never be able to reach | | | | can add a lot of size and development to your |
| full range due to structural constraints unique to their | | | | shoulders, broadening and thickening all three heads as |
| body, but just work to your own limits and ability and if | | | | well as beefing up your traps as long as you totally |
| you notice the beginnings of shoulder problems in the | | | | focus on the work at hand, thoroughly warm up, never |
| form of popping joints, muscle pulls, lingering pain, | | | | exceed the comfort range of mobility, employ |
| numbness, decreased mobility or pain along some point | | | | moderately heavy weight for higher reps in perfect |
| in normal shoulder rotation, stop doing these | | | | form and complete control throughout the full range of |
| movements because you do not possess a structure | | | | movement. |