STANDING vs. SEATED PRESSING

Got an email 100 words long that asks a hundred questions - sender, (secretly known as Don M.) wants to know about standing presses compared to seated presses, Smith machine presses, dumbbell presses - factors being risk versus effectiveness. Incidentally, there's some disc degeneration in his memory, and he likes squats (my man) and wonders about a lifting belt.

First of all, by all means get yourself a first class thick leather lifting belt. You've gotta have a belt if you want to talk about this stuff. Does a baseball player have a bat? Even if you don't use it, it looks cool just sticking out of your gym bag. Have it made for you, your favorite shade of leather, and put your initials on it. They get misplaced, lost or stolen and you'll be very upset. Tall lifters with long torsos may require 6" support, but regularly 4" fits tighter in the small of the back where the load is critical. I use a belt for all squatting, deadlifting and overhead pressing. Certainly when curling heavy weight and performing heavy laterals a belt is a very good idea. Keeps your torso tight and well controlled, well protected. Gives you confidence. Throughout 75% of my workout when the load is not intense, I train belt-free and depend on my own structural strength to do the work. (More on trunk strength later.)

Be smart, Don, have a friendly and competent chiropractor shoot a picture of your back and assess the damage. In Santa Cruz, most docs offer this service free to help establish their practice and credibility. Maybe restoration is underway as a result of good nutrition, resistance training and time. Maybe not and you should know. Don't mess with the back.

New stuff….best shoulder builder, safest and most diversified is the dumbbell press-from flat bench for front delts and mid chest to subsequent levels of incline up to 75+ degrees. The steeper, the tougher, the more deltoid and higher pec across clavicle. Tris always work hard in pressing. Dumbbells are much safer than restricted bar pressing 'cause they may be altered in motion to accommodate rotation cuff's particular mechanical requirements. This is done by "feel" and focus to avoid abuse and to work around an injured or weaker area. Always warm up your shoulders with light sets. They are the most over-worked and over-extended areas of the body….. Steep dumbbells done on various back supported inclines are the number one choice of the champions. I've always felt that way, as do others I've talked to like the gigantic shouldered Jim Quinn. Ask him, I dare you.

Seated press behind neck, performed on a Smith machine using a back support bench and belt is another favorite shoulder builder and muscularizer. Though tuff on the rotation cuffs, it's one of my standards. Position a utility bench so the bar will come down and just graze the hair on the back of your head. Warm up, don't go deep, don't go heavy. This is strictly an exercise, not a big powerlifting movement like the bench press. Shoulder mechanics in the press behind neck are too precarious for heavy weight. Go heavy and deep and you pay the devil's price. Isolate deltoid with your determined focus. 15, 12, 10, 8 reps. Light well-formed, bent over lateral raises or pull downs behind the neck are good secondary superset movements, 8-10 reps.

The standing military press is a powerful exercise, especially if performed with cleans as part of the movement. Repetition cleans and presses will make your hair grow. Everything works and works hard. Always wear your belt after light warm-up sets. Practice perfect form as there is a lot of critical body positioning and precise mechanics involved. Excellent exercise for healthy disciplined bodies. Mean on the lumbar when maxing weight or reps. Standing press by itself is a great shoulder cage developer. Seated barbell press should be done with the back supported, grabbing the bar from a rack. Arching the back under a heavy load with explosion is obviously nasty on the vertebrae and hips.

Don, with your back history, do the front presses with a lighter weight - controlled, deliberate and no explosion. Do them seated with a back support bench and with belt tight.

I like dumbbell inclines, flats and press behind neck. Add hyperextensions (3 sets X 15-20 reps) 2 times per week to your midsection routines. Bring in deadlifts with light weight (3-4 sets X 10-12 reps) at the end of your back workout or leg day - let's do what we can to strengthen the erectors and protect the lumbar.

Squat with precision, don't overload and wear your belt. Lots of warm up. Better off with clean thoughtful sets of twelve than threatening your knees and back with a low rep, high poundage approach. Volume reps provide far greater heart and lung action for endurance and work well for capillary loading, muscle shape and separation and athletic performance.