The High Rep Shoulder Press

The shoulder press is a standard, effective exercise for developing not only the deltoids, but the trapezius, the triceps and the upper pectorals as well. As with any strength training exercise, you have two basic choices when performing it: heavy weight and low repetitions, or light weight and high reps. The volume and intensity of the shoulder press is one important factor in determining how effective the exercise will ultimately be. High reps and light weight are best reserved for those who want to develop muscular endurance rather than muscle mass.

  1. Shoulder Press Form

    • Although there are numerous variations for the shoulder press, the most common version is the standard military press. The military press is performed while standing, and requires a weighted barbell. The barbell rests on the floor when the exercise begins. Stand with your feet slighter wider than your shoulders, bend at the waist, and grip the barbell overhand with your hands wider than your shoulders. Stand up straight, bend your elbows and keep the barbell just above the top of your chest. Push the bar up above your head until your elbows lock, hold it at the top of the motion for a moment, then lower it back to the top of your chest.

    High Reps and Light Weights

    • The key to high repetition shoulder exercise is to press enough weight to break down muscle tissue, but not so much weight that your deltoids ever come close to muscle failure. To establish endurance, the idea is to train the target muscles so that they stress without straining. Find a weight that you can perform between 10 and 15 reps of the shoulder press to begin, then work to increase your number of reps to 20. From there, increase weight slightly, and again work until you’re performing 20 reps. Trial and error is necessary to find your initial comfortable weight.

    Variations

    • A good way to change up your routine to prevent the onset of a performance plateau is to perform a different version of the shoulder press. For example, swapping out the barbell for two dumbbells will allow you to press the weight in a slightly more neutral position, because the dumbbells will travel directly over the top of your deltoids as you press. You can sit on a flat-back workout chair and perform your presses either with dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell. The key is to select a weight that allows you to perform between 10 and 20 reps per set. Anything less than 10, and you’ll work for mass, not endurance. Anything more than 20 will risk overtraining your deltoids.

    Considerations

    • Even though the light weight used for high-rep shoulder presses isn’t as prone to risk as shoulder presses with heavier weight, ask a friend or workout partner to spot you. The shoulder press is a tricky exercise that requires you to push weight above your head. Even with light weight, the high number of reps can cause fatigue. Also, avoid overtraining by selecting a limited number of complementary exercises for the shoulders, especially if you’re performing a broad upper-body routine. The shoulder abductor is especially prone to rotational injuries from being overworked, so carefully select the exercises you pair with the shoulder press.