Neutral Shoulder Press for Side Delts

The shoulder press exercise is a compound movement that works several muscles in the upper body, including the front delts, side delts, traps and triceps. Using a neutral grip instead of the standard overhand grip does change the muscle emphasis of the exercise. However, the side delts are not targeted any more during the neutral-grip press than they are during the standard overhead press.

  1. Shoulder Anatomy

    • The shoulder muscle is comprised of three deltoid muscles: the side delt, the front delt and the rear delt. The side delt sits on the side of the shoulder and is mainly responsible for shoulder abduction, lifting the upper arm out to the side. The front delt sits on the front of the shoulder and is mainly responsible for shoulder flexion, lifting the upper arm to the front of the body. The rear delt sits on the back of the shoulder and is mainly responsible for shoulder extension, pulling the upper arm down and back from above. The responsibilities of the three deltoid muscles overlap, meaning that each plays a small role in all shoulder movements.

    Neutral Press Technique

    • For the standard overhead press, your palms face forward; for the neutral press, your palms must face toward one another. A barbell doesn't allow for a neutral grip, so you have to use dumbbells or a shoulder press machine with neutral handles for the neutral-grip press. Hold a weight in each hand, with your upper arms by your sides and your elbows pointing toward the floor. Press the weights overhead until your arms are fully extended.

    Muscles Worked

    • The neutral press does not emphasize the side delts more than the standard overhead press does. The front delts are the primary movers for both shoulder press variations. The neutral press transfers some of the load away from the shoulders and to the triceps, the muscles on the back of the upper arm. The neutral-grip position keeps your elbows closer to your body than the standard press, which places less stress on the shoulder joints.

    Side Delt Exercises

    • Do not eliminate the overhead press from your shoulder routine, as it works several muscle groups in the upper body. However, to ensure you hit the side delts adequately, include exercises that target that muscle more directly, such as upright rows and lateral raises. Always perform two or three light sets of an exercise to warm up your muscles before moving on to your working sets. Stretch your muscles at the end of the workout, holding each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.