Q: I’ve seen you guys recommend behind-the-neck pulldowns before in your newsletter as long as lighter weight and a specific range of motion is used, but you never seem to mention behind-the-neck presses. Is the behind-the-neck press not a good shoulder exercise?
A: First understand that any type of behind-the-neck move—pulldown or press—can overstress the shoulder capsule. It’s not a natural position; however, the behind-the-neck position can provide a unique angle of pull on the target fibers for new development…
That being said, you can use behind-the-neck moves every so often—as long as they don’t hurt, you stay in complete control of the weight, and you do NOT go heavy. In fact, to ensure all of that, use the X-centric method—that is one second on the positive and six seconds on the negative for about 7 reps.
That negative-accentuated style requires a lighter weight than a standard eight-to-ten-rep set, and it still provides a double-dose of muscle growth—the slow negatives provide stimulation for the myofibrils, the actin and myosin strands that generate force, and the longer tension time—50 seconds—helps spur expansion in the sarcoplasm, the fibers’ endurance fluid. Result: Full, detailed size that attracts all eyes when you’re outside…
NOTE: The X-centric Mass Workout, featuring one of the fastest ways to trigger extreme hypertrophy, is available right now for just $9! Get more info HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Recommended
NO MORE SHOULDER PAIN
Shoulder pain can affect your workouts forever. That’s not good!
That’s why we’re recommending advice from injury specialist Rick Kaselj, MS. His tips can help make your shoulders nearly bullet-proof.
Here are a few general tips from Rick (he goes into more detail in his program)…
Top 5 Tips To Bullet-Proof Your Shoulders
- Build Tension in Your Lats. When doing shoulder exercises, activate your lats and keep your shoulders happy.
- Prime Up Your Muscles. Most people do a warm-up that just lubricates the joint, but you need to activate and turn on all the muscles in your upper body.
- Technique, Technique, Technique. This is the number one reason why people injure their shoulders. You can’t go to the gym every day and work on your max lift.
- Watch Out for Fatigue. Cooking your smaller muscles in your shoulder complex, and that increases the risk of shoulder injury and pain.
- Work on Your Shoulder Blade Muscles. Many strength coaches will say you’re wasting your time on this, but if you want to have bullet-proof shoulders, you need to work on them.
Get all of Rick’s tips and tricks for pain-free workouts below: