Military vs Shoulder Press
Whether you are a budding bodybuilder or just a fitness freak, you must have heard a lot about shoulder press. It is a basic weight training workout that requires one to hold a barbell and take it overhead in such a manner that the arms are stretched all the way up. This is an exercise that is considered great for toning up the upper body muscles though it is a total body exercise with benefits accruing to thighs and legs too. There is another exercise by the name of Military Press that looks very similar to shoulder press. Despite similarities, there are some differences between the two body building exercises that will be talked about in this article.
Shoulder Press
Shoulder press or simply press has long been considered one of the best exercises for developing the muscles around the shoulder and strengthening deltoid muscles. This is an exercise that can be performed either standing or sitting. It can be done with both barbell as well as dumb bells. To do a shoulder press, all you have to do is to hold the barbell at a slightly more width than shoulder width and press the barbell to move it upwards till your arms are stretched out in an upright direction. Hold the barbell in this position for some time and then slowly lower it to complete the exercise. The same exercise can also be done with dumb bells, and you start with dumb bells at your shoulder height and press them upwards till they meet each other above your head. Hold them in this position for some time and then gradually lower them to return to the starting position.
Military Press
Military press is an exercise that is so called because it is considered to be a reflection of one’s strength in armed forces. This is a variation of the shoulder press, and it targets the triceps, in addition to the deltoid muscles. This is a stricter form of shoulder press with the individual starting with his heels touching each other. The barbell is kept on anterior deltoids. The individual lifts the barbell above his shoulders until it is held with outstretched forearms in a perpendicular position.
Military Press vs Shoulder Press
• Military press is done with heels touching whereas there is no strict requirement in shoulder press.
• Military press focuses on deltoid as well as triceps whereas shoulder press focuses on deltoid muscles alone.
• Shoulder press can be done with both barbell as well as dumb bells whereas military press is done with barbell only.
• Military press is just a variation of shoulder press.