Why is my shoulder press so weak? All You Need to know for better results fast
You may have noticed recently, that your shoulder press isn’t where you want it to be.
This leaves you to ask “why is my shoulder press so weak”.
There could be several reasons why your shoulder press is weak. It’s important to identify the reason to find the appropriate solution.
This article will explore some potential causes of a weak shoulder press and how to fix them.
Why is my shoulder press so weak?
There could be several reasons why your shoulder press is weak. One possibility is that you are not using enough weight or you may be trying to lift too much. Another possibility is that you are not engaging your core and glute muscles enough when you press. By engaging your core muscles, you will be able to use more weight and also protect your back from injury. You may have rotator cuff issues or restricted mobility with your scapula which will make the exercise harder to perform or progress. Finally, make sure that you are using the full range of motion when you press. By pressing all the way up with a solid frame, you will be able to work your muscles more effectively and also improve your range of motion.
Form issues
One of the most common reasons why people have a weak shoulder press is because of their form. The shoulder press is an exercise that requires strict form in order to be effective.
Make sure that you are not using momentum to press the weight up. Instead, focus on pushing the weight up slowly and controlled using your shoulder muscles.
If you find yourself using momentum, lower the weight that you are using until you are able to press it without using momentum.
In addition, make sure that you are not arching your back when you press the weight up. This can put unnecessary stress on your spine and increase your risk of injury.
Instead, keep your back straight and engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine.
Weight
If you are not using enough weight, then you will not be able to effectively work your shoulder muscles.
The amount of weight that you use will depend on your goals. However, a general guideline is to use a weight that allows you to complete 8-12 repetitions with good form.
If you are using a weight that is too light, you will not be able to challenge your muscles enough to stimulate growth.
On the other hand, if you are using a weight that is too heavy, you will not be able to maintain good form and increase your risk of injury.
If you are not sure how much weight to use, start with a lighter weight and gradually increase the amount of weight that you lift as your strength increases.
With this in mind, it’s well worth keeping a log of your progress so you can ensure you are using the appropriate weight for your level of strength and fitness.
Engage your core
When you press the weight up, make sure that you are engaging your core muscles. This will help to stabilize your spine and also allow you to use more weight.
To engage your core muscles, simply tighten your abdominal muscles as you press the weight up.
You should feel your core muscles working if you are doing it correctly. If you don’t feel your core muscles working, then you may need to focus on contracting them more.
Reduce the weight to enable you to work on engaging your core muscles more effectively with the correct form.
Restricted Range of motion
When you press the weight up, make sure that you are using a full range of motion.
This means that you should be pressing the weight all the way up until your arms are fully extended.
If you are not using a full range of motion, you are not effectively working your shoulder muscles.
In addition, by not using a full range of motion, you are also not improving your range of motion.
If you find that you cannot press the weight all the way up, then lower the weight that you are using and think about improving your range of motion with mobility and stretching drills.
Related: Why Are My Shoulders Never Sore? 16 Crucial Factors To Consider
Not warming up
One reason why people have a weak shoulder press is that they don’t warm up correctly and their muscles might be tight.
Warming up helps to increase your heart rate, blood flow and body temperature. This primes your body for exercise and can help to reduce your risk of injury.
A simple warm-up routine should consist of 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by some dynamic stretching.
If you find that your shoulder press is weak, then make sure that you are taking the time to warm up properly before you start your workout.
Just as important as warming up is cooling down.
Cooling down helps to reduce your heart rate, blood flow and body temperature. Exercise recovery is important for your body and can help reduce the risk of injury.
Rotator cuff issues
One of the most common reasons why people have a weak shoulder press is that they have rotator cuff issues.
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that stabilise the shoulder joint, they are also responsible for aiding in shoulder movement.
If you have a rotator cuff injury or deficiency, it might limit your range of motion and capacity to press the weight overhead.
The shoulder is a very delicate joint and it is important to be careful when training. If you injure your rotator cuff, you will know about it as your range of motion will be considerably hindered and it can also take a long time to recover.
If you think that you may have rotator cuff issues, then it is important to see a doctor or physiotherapist.
They will be able to give you a specific diagnosis and create a treatment plan.
Scapula issues
The scapula is the bone that sits behind the shoulder blade. It is responsible for aiding in shoulder movement.
If you have weakness or pain in your scapula, it can limit your range of motion and ability to press weight overhead and lift anything in general.
The scapula, often known as the shoulder blade, is another rather delicate bone.
It’s critical to use caution when working in this region so you don’t get harmed, as injuries might severely limit your range of motion and take a long time to recover.
The rhomboid muscles attach the scapula to the thoracic spine and if these muscles are weak, it can lead to pain in the shoulder blade region.
If you pull this muscle it will feel like an awkward stabbing sensation in your back, so take care when pressing any weights.
Once again, work on your scapula mobility with some stretching and foam rolling.
Clench glutes
When pressing any weight overhead, it is important to clench your glutes and brace your core.
This will help to increase stability in your lower body and will also transfer energy from your legs to help you press the weight overhead.
If you don’t do this, you will find that you are using more of your upper body strength to press the weight and your lower body will be wobbly, which will make it harder to maintain good form.
Clenching your glutes is one part of pressing overhead and is an important piece of the puzzle, along with engaging your core.
Its worth noting that to do shoulder press competently, you need to engage your entire body to get the most out of the exercise and improve your strength.
Lack of upper body strength
If you find that your shoulder press is weak, it might be because you lack upper body strength.
Upper body exercises such as the shoulder press, work your anterior (front) and posterior (back) deltoids, your triceps and your rotator cuff muscles.
If you want to increase your shoulder press, make sure that you are doing other exercises that target these muscle groups.
Some good exercises to help increase your shoulder press are:
- Bench press
- Dumbbell shoulder press
- Tricep dips
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
These exercises will help to increase the strength in your upper body and rotator cuff, which will in turn help you to increase your shoulder press.
Stick to a strict routine and make sure that you are gradually increasing the weight that you are lifting. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
Posture needs improvement
If you have poor posture, it can lead to several different problems, including shoulder pain.
One of the major causes of poor posture is tightness in the chest and front of the shoulders. This can be caused by sitting at a desk all day or not stretching properly.
To improve your posture, you need to increase the mobility in your chest and shoulders.
This can be done by:
- Doing some stretching exercises
- Using a foam roller on your chest and shoulders
- Doing some mobility exercises
Once you have increased the mobility in your chest and shoulders, you need to focus on retraining your posture.
This can be done by:
- Standing up tall
- Pulling your shoulders back
- Keeping your chin tucked in
By retraining your posture, you will find that your shoulder mobility will start to improve.
In addition, improving your posture will also help to improve your shoulder press. This is because you will be able to get into a better position when pressing the weight overhead.
Start by working on your posture and then focus on increasing the weight that you are pressing.
Incorrect breathing
Breathing correctly is important for a number of different reasons, including increasing the stability of your spine and improving the efficiency of your movement.
When pressing any weight overhead, you should exhale as you press the weight up. This will help to increase the stability of your spine and will also help you to use more of your strength.
If you find that you are struggling to press the weight overhead, it might be because you are not breathing correctly.
Start by focusing on your breath and make sure that you are exhaling as you press the weight up. Once you have mastered this, you can start to increase the weight that you are pressing.
Remember, taking deep breaths will also help to increase the stability of your spine and will help you to move more efficiently.
Related: Why Is Shoulder Press So Hard? All The Answers For Rapid Progress
Your grip is too narrow or wide
The width of your grip will have an impact on the muscles that are used when pressing overhead.
If you have a narrow grip, you will place more emphasis on your triceps. Whereas, if you have a wide grip, you will place more emphasis on your chest and shoulders.
If you want to focus on your chest and shoulders, you should use a grip that is just outside of shoulder width.
However, if you find that you are struggling to press the weight overhead, it might be because your grip is too wide.
In this case, you can try using a grip that is closer to shoulder width. This will help to target your chest and shoulders more effectively.
Remember, you can always experiment with different grip widths to find what works best for you.
Training volume isn’t sufficient
If you are not doing enough volume, it will be difficult to increase the strength in your upper body and shoulders.
Training volume refers to the number of sets and reps that you do.
For example, if you are only doing 3 sets of 8-10 reps, this might not be enough volume to stimulate growth.
You need to be training in the 8-12 rep range to build muscle and consider increasing the number of shoulder sessions you are doing per week.
In addition, you should also be doing a variety of different exercises that target the muscles in your upper body and shoulders.
By doing a variety of different exercises, you will be able to provide your muscles with the stimulus they need to grow.
Remember, if you want to increase the size of your shoulders, you need to be doing enough volume.
Then on the flip side, you might be training too much!
You’re not giving your muscles enough time to recover
If you are training too often, it will be difficult for your muscles to recover.
Your muscles need time to recover in order to grow.
If you find that you are struggling to build muscle, it might be because you are not giving your muscles enough time to recover.
Try reducing the frequency of your workouts and making sure that you are getting enough sleep. In addition, make sure that you are eating enough calories and protein.
You’re not eating enough calories
If you are not eating enough calories, it will be difficult to build muscle.
Muscle growth requires a calorie surplus, which means you need to be eating more calories than you are burning.
If you find that you are struggling to build muscle, it might be because you are not eating enough calories.
Start by tracking your calorie intake for a few days and make sure that you are eating in a calorie surplus.
In addition, make sure that you are eating enough protein. Protein is essential for muscle growth and should be consumed at every meal.
Finally, make sure that you are getting enough sleep. Sleep is when your muscles recover and grow.
If you are not getting enough sleep, it will be difficult to build muscle.
Remember, if you want to build muscle, you need to be eating enough calories.
Lowering the bar too far
If you lower the bar too far down close passed your chest, it can place unnecessary strain on your shoulder joints and wrists.
In addition, if you lower the bar too far, it will be difficult to press the weight back up overhead.
You should lower the bar down to your upper chest, but not any lower. This will help to keep the tension on your muscles and will allow you to press the weight back up more effectively.
Remember, if you want to build muscle, you need to keep the tension on your muscles.
Related: Why Am I Weaker Than My Last Workout? All You Need To Know To Get Back On Track Fast
Press direction at fault
If you are pressing the weight in the wrong direction, it can place unnecessary strain on your joints and muscles.
For example, if you are pressing the weight overhead but your elbows are flaring out to the sides, this can place strain on your elbow joints.
In addition, if you are pressing the weight out in front of you instead of straight up overhead, this can place strain on your shoulder joints.
Make sure that you are pressing the weight straight up overhead and that your elbows are close to your sides. This will help to keep the tension on your muscles and will allow you to press the weight more effectively.
The key to gaining muscle is to keep your muscles under tension.
Change how you train
If you want to build muscle, you need to change how you train your muscles.
For example, if you always do the same exercises, your muscles will adapt and you will no longer see results.
In order to keep your muscles guessing, you need to change up your routine often.
One way to do this is by adding in new exercises.
Another way to keep your muscles guessing is by changing the tempo of your exercises.
For example, you can do negative reps or supersets.
Negative reps are when you lower the weight slowly and under control.
Supersets are when you pair two exercises together and complete them back to back with no rest in between.
Both of these methods will help to keep your muscles guessing and will lead to better results.
Sit down to help improve stability
If you are struggling to keep your balance while doing overhead presses, try sitting down. This will help to improve your stability and will allow you to press the weight more effectively.
In addition, make sure that you are using a weight that you can handle.
If the weight is too heavy, it will be difficult to keep your balance and you will be more likely to injure yourself.
Change up the equipment
If you find you aren’t progressing how you would like with the barbell, then why not change to using dumbbells?
Dumbbells offer a few advantages over barbells.
First, they allow you to train each side of your body independently. This is helpful if you have any muscular imbalances.
Second, dumbbells are easier to control. This is helpful if you find that you are struggling with your form when using a barbell.
Finally, dumbbells offer a greater range of motion. This can help to increase your results.
On the other hand, if you have plateaued with dumbbells, then consider using a barbell to mix things up and see if that helps.
Final thoughts…
Building muscle can be difficult, but it is not impossible.
If you want to build muscle, you need to be eating enough calories and protein, lifting heavy weights, and using progressive overload.
In addition, you need to be sure that you are training your muscles regularly and changing up your routine often.
If you follow these tips, you should see results.
The shoulders are a smaller muscle group so be patient when training them.
It can take time to see results when building muscle. Be patient and consistent with your training and you will eventually see the results.
Have your experienced this issue when working your shoulders, how did you get back on track? Let me know in the comments section below.
