A Sculpting Secret Weapon

Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu takes her workouts seriously and recently she shared a video of her final workout of the year in which she was seen executing a difficult set of military press exercises under the supervision of her trainer Junaid Shaikh, whom she tagged in the video.

Full-body strength & power

Mohammed Abrar, ACE, certified personal trainer and owner of F45 Jubilee Hills says, “The military press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulder muscles but also engages numerous muscle groups at the same time, allowing you to target multiple parts of your body with a single exercise. This enhances your workouts. Typically refers to a standing overhead press with strict form, with the lifter’s feet together. It entails lifting a barbell or dumbbells from shoulder height to overhead. It emphasises perfect form, with no leg drive or momentum,” says Abrar.

Military presses generally target the shoulders, but they also work the triceps.

“The military press seems so difficult because it limits engagement from other regions of the body, depending only on shoulder and tricep strength,” says the fitness expert.

How to do it?

1 Starting Position: The military press begins with a barbell resting on the front of your shoulders above your collarbone. This can be accomplished by picking up and placing a barbell from the floor, or by using a squat rack to secure the bar.

2  Lift off: Place your feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointing out. Take a deep breath to fortify your core and clench your glutes to maintain a neutral spine.

3  Pressing motion: Extend your arms until your elbows are locked and press the bar overhead. Maintain a neutral head position, facing forward or slightly upward. Make sure that your movement is limited to your shoulders and arms, with the rest of your body immobile. Maintain a strong and stable core to avoid excessive arching in your lower back.

4 Lowering phase: Slowly drop the barbell back to the starting position while remaining stable. Maintain control throughout by not allowing the weight to fall onto your shoulders.

BENEFITS

“Military press is a classic weightlifting exercise with numerous benefits.”

Here are some of the advantages of military press and why you should incorporate it into your everyday practice.  “Military press targets all shoulder muscles,” says Abrar.

Upper body strength: It works the triceps, chest, upper back, and core, increasing upper body strength.

Functional strength: Increases the capacity to carry objects above for routine duties.

Core stability: This exercise improves core strength and stability.

Better posture and aesthetics: Encourages upright posture and an appealing upper body form.

Calorie burn and hormonal response: This supplement burns calories while also stimulating muscle-building hormones.

Versatility & bone health: Promotes bone health and is compatible with a variety of equipment.

Avoid injury

Proper exercise technique is critical for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of an exercise programme, but you may need to adjust each exercise to achieve the best results for your specific needs. Choose a weight that permits you to maintain complete control of your body during the exercise. Pay great attention to your body when undertaking any workout, and stop immediately if you experience pain or discomfort.

The military press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulder muscles but also engages several other muscle groups at the same time, allowing you to target multiple parts of your body with a single exercise —Mohammed Abrar, personal trainer

Muscles at work:

If you perform the overhead press while standing, you will engage the majority of the main muscles in your upper body, including the: * chest pectorals; *Shoulders (deltoids); *triceps (arm muscles); * trapezius muscle (upper back)

Although the Military Press appears to be straightforward to execute, not everyone is capable of doing so effectively at first. When the barbell is lifted overhead, it tests thoracic and shoulder mobility.