military press behind or in front of head?

I do mine behind the neck, I have no clue why it could be bad for you. It might be bad if its unconfortable or feels ackward to you. I feel behind the neck presses are a key delt workout. Thats just my 2 cents though.
 
Behind the neck is bad if you don't do rotator cuff exercises.. I reccomend the average person to go infront although I go behind.
 
Do both. The only reason behind could be bad is if you have some rotator cuff problems, otherwise the extra stretch you get from doing them behind should help prevent rotator cuff injuries (7 Minute Rotator Cuff Solution by Jerry Robinson, Joseph Horrigan).
 
pretty contraversial topic..... I would only do the pull or push behind the neck if I had reason (i.e. Increase split jerk ability.....I like performing handstands to impress women......whatever....). If there is no point to it.....I personally don't bother with it. Also if my range of scaption was not optimal.....forget the behind the neck stuff.
 
Evo will come in and bash my behind the neck opinion. But in the end, a LOT more injuries occur while pressing behind the neck.
 
Who wants to drop a barbell on the back of their neck?

There is a chance you could drop your weights doing any exercise, so why up the risk or ingury. If there is no chance of you dropping it, then your not using enough weight.

The easy answer is that you should be doing presses with dumbbells anyway.
Dumbells give a much better range of motion as you can lower the weight all the way down to your shoulders, and you can drop the weights quickly if you fail.

Unless you are lifting for sport you dont need the barbell, and if you do lift for sport then you would do it in front of the face.
 
I notice much more isolation on the traps in the behind the neck, more so in the chest with it infront (which isn't what I'm trying to work). Some of us vein people, do exercises to hit a certain muscle to make it grow, not just to improve in the exercise.

To tell you the truth I could car less how much I squat, as long as my quads grow a few 1/4's of an inch.
 
With dumbbells you can alter your seatting position to imitate what your doing with a bar bell.

for traps, sit with your chest against the back of the bench seat and tilt it forward slightly. The line of the dumbbells will then be the same as if you were pressing behind the neck.

For chest, sit normally and angle seat back slightly.
 
I don't like to do barbell military press to the front because I notice my form waining...
I do dumbbell presses and on other days I do standing, behind the neck, military press with the barbell.
 
i wouldnt recommend going in front unless there was an oly lifter, they should go behind due to the snatch exersice.
and most people also do wide grip lat pulldowns behind their head, which isent that good either :p
 
MOK...My form wavers when using heavier weights. Like I will notice that it's hard to keep my back straight against the chair because I lean my head back to perform the press. Behind the head keeps my back straight :)
 
the added stress of external rotation on the shoulder when going behind the neck CAN cause more injuries. i think, however, if you keep the weight relatively light and stay with good form, you'll be ok. people with any kind of s.i.t.s. problems should stay in the front for shoulder work and back work.
 
I remember reading an article in Muscle and Fitness that was dedicated to a shoulder workout, specifically military press and they said to vary between front and behind the neck reps. That meant do the exercise to the front one day and the next time you do military press, switch it up and do it behind the neck. Just my $.02
 
Well irregardless of the publications reputation, it has worked for me and I haven't noticed any strain in my rotator cuff. Just do what you feel.
 
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