The resistance band shoulder press is an exercise you can use to build your shoulder muscles and strength.
The exercise is a vertical press, which is a foundational movement pattern that everyone should include in their workout routine (assuming they do not have limitations preventing them from doing so).
The importance of the shoulder press can’t be overstated. Performing the movement can help build muscle and prevent injury by strengthening the anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, and posterior deltoid. You will also indirectly target the muscles of the triceps and core by performing the exercise.
Not to mention, overhead movement patterns that position your elbows over the ears are becoming less and less common in everyday activity. This makes it important to train your muscles to be able to perform these movements in your workouts.
Lastly, resistance bands are a great tool to use when performing overhead shoulder presses. The resistance provided by the band will provide a nice challenge as you press the handles overhead. The elasticity of the band will create peak resistance at the top of the movement pattern as you contract the muscles to further help you build shoulder strength.
Resistance bands are also a low footprint piece of exercise equipment. A set can be easily stored in a bag in your closet or corner of your home gym. This makes owning a set of resistance band a practical way to maintain your health and strength from virtually anywhere.
There are three variations of resistance band shoulder presses we will cover in this article. They all follow the same pressing pattern using slightly different grips. The changes in grip may be helpful if you are working around shoulder pain or want variety in your workouts.
1. Traditional Resistance Band Shoulder Press
The first variation we’ll cover is the traditional resistance band shoulder press. This variation will have your hands facing away from you. It is the most hand position when it comes to the shoulder press and will be the most effective in working your shoulders.
Adding in resistance band shoulder presses are an excellent option for your at-home workouts (especially those focused on using resistance bands), upper body workouts, and push workouts. This will be true for the other banded variations as well.
A good set and rep range for the exercise is 2-5 sets for 6-12 repetitions. Your level of experience with working out will determine where in those ranges would be appropriate for your workouts.
How to perform resistance band shoulder presses
- Holding the handles of the resistance band, align the band in front of you and step onto the band.
- Position your feet so that your stance is shoulder width apart. The middle of the band should align with the midpoint of your body.
- Curl the handles of the resistance band up until the handle aligns with your shoulder.
- Externally rotate your shoulder until the band is parallel with your forearm and your hands face away from you.
- Press the handles overhead, driving the resistance away from your body with the muscles of your shoulders.
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, squeeze the muscles of the shoulders once your hands reach the top of the movement.
- Reverse the movement bringing the hands back down to shoulder level.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Neutral Grip Banded Shoulder Press
The second variation is the neutral grip variation. This grip is particularly helpful if you have some elbow discomfort. It can also be a nice change of pace if you’d like to “spice” up your vertical press movement while maintaining the effectiveness of your workout.
How to perform neutral grip resistance band shoulder presses
- Holding the handles of the resistance band, align the band in front of you and step onto the band.
- Position your feet so that your stance is shoulder width apart. The middle of the band should align with the midpoint of your body.
- Curl the handles of the resistance band up until the handle aligns with your shoulder.
- Externally rotate your shoulder until the band is parallel with your forearm and your hands face each other/your head.
- Press the handles overhead, driving the resistance away from your body with the muscles of your shoulders.
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, squeeze the muscles of the shoulders once your hands reach the top of the movement.
- Reverse the movement bringing the hands back down to shoulder level.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Supinated Banded Shoulder Press
The final variation we’ll cover in this article is the supinated banded shoulder press. This variation is particularly helpful if you experience some minor shoulder pain with the traditional variation. The supinated grip also places more emphasis on the front deltoids making it a good additional exercise in your upper body or push workouts.
How to perform supinated banded shoulder press
- Holding the handles of the resistance band, align the band in front of you and step onto the band.
- Position your feet so that your stance is shoulder width apart. The middle of the band should align with the midpoint of your body.
- Curl the handles of the resistance band up until the handle aligns with your shoulder.
- Keep your hands facing towards you and make this your starting position for the exercise.
- Press the handles overhead, driving the resistance away from your body with the muscles of your shoulders.
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, squeeze the muscles of the shoulders once your hands reach the top of the movement.
- Reverse the movement bringing the hands back down to shoulder level.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Conclusion
In this article we discussed 3 different resistance band shoulder press variations and the importance of incorporating the shoulder press into your workout routines.
Whether you are working out at-home, while traveling, or outdoors, resistance bands can help provide the necessary resistance to challenge your muscles. When creating your resistance band workout, ensure that you include foundational movement patterns like the shoulder press.