Saturday, January 23, 2021
  • Home
  • Deals
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
Bodybuilding, Fitness, CrossFit, Strongman and Powerlifting
  • Mr. OlympiaHOT
  • Workouts
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Cardio
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs
    • Workout Plans
    How to Avoid Hip Pain

    13 Ways to Avoid Hip Pain in The Gym

    Calisthenics Training

    Calisthenics Training: A Beginner’s Guide

    Metcon Exercises and Workouts:

    Fun and Effective Metcon Exercises and Workouts for Big Guys

  • Nutrition
    • All
    • Essential Nutrients
    • Nutrition Tips
    Ronnie Coleman

    What Did Ronnie Coleman Eat in His Prime?

    Healthiest Ways To Eat Eggs

    Eggcellent Nutrition Tips: Healthiest Ways To Eat Eggs

    Break Through Keto Plateau

    How To Break Through Keto Plateau and Achieve New Fat Loss

  • Training
  • Exercises
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    Kroc Rows Vs Pendlay Rows

    Kroc Rows Vs. Pendlay Rows – Which One Is Best?

    Dumbbell Lying Pronation

    Dumbbell Lying Pronation Exercise Guide and Videos

    Side Delt Exercises

    Best Side Delt Exercises for Broader, More Powerful Shoulders

    Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise

    Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise Exercise Guide and Videos

    Long Head Triceps Exercises

    The Best Long Head Triceps Exercises for Thicker, Stronger Arms

    Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

    How To Do The Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

    Box Jump Exercise Guide

    Box Jump Exercise Guide – Muscles Worked, How-to, Tips, and Variations

    Dumbbell Iron Cross Exercise

    Dumbbell Iron Cross Exercise Guide and Videos

    Good Morning Exercise Guide

    Good Morning Exercise Guide – Muscles Worked, How-to, Tips, and Variations

  • Food FactsTrending
  • News
    • Deals
    • Videos
    • Bodybuilding
    • CrossFit
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • MMA
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Lifting Gear & Accessories
    • Supplements
    Pre Workouts Without Creatine

    12 Best Pre-Workouts Without Creatine For 2021

    Powerlifting Singlet

    Powerlifting Singlets: All You Need To Know (Reviewed)

    Best Workout Shoes

    16 Best Workout Shoes For Better Performance in 2021

    Trending Tags

    • Ample
    • pre-workout
    • Meal Replacement
    • Pre-Kaged
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt: Bodybuilding, Fitness, CrossFit, Strongman and Powerlifting
  • Mr. OlympiaHOT
  • Workouts
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Cardio
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs
    • Workout Plans
    How to Avoid Hip Pain

    13 Ways to Avoid Hip Pain in The Gym

    Calisthenics Training

    Calisthenics Training: A Beginner’s Guide

    Metcon Exercises and Workouts:

    Fun and Effective Metcon Exercises and Workouts for Big Guys

  • Nutrition
    • All
    • Essential Nutrients
    • Nutrition Tips
    Ronnie Coleman

    What Did Ronnie Coleman Eat in His Prime?

    Healthiest Ways To Eat Eggs

    Eggcellent Nutrition Tips: Healthiest Ways To Eat Eggs

    Break Through Keto Plateau

    How To Break Through Keto Plateau and Achieve New Fat Loss

  • Training
  • Exercises
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    Kroc Rows Vs Pendlay Rows

    Kroc Rows Vs. Pendlay Rows – Which One Is Best?

    Dumbbell Lying Pronation

    Dumbbell Lying Pronation Exercise Guide and Videos

    Side Delt Exercises

    Best Side Delt Exercises for Broader, More Powerful Shoulders

    Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise

    Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise Exercise Guide and Videos

    Long Head Triceps Exercises

    The Best Long Head Triceps Exercises for Thicker, Stronger Arms

    Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

    How To Do The Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

    Box Jump Exercise Guide

    Box Jump Exercise Guide – Muscles Worked, How-to, Tips, and Variations

    Dumbbell Iron Cross Exercise

    Dumbbell Iron Cross Exercise Guide and Videos

    Good Morning Exercise Guide

    Good Morning Exercise Guide – Muscles Worked, How-to, Tips, and Variations

  • Food FactsTrending
  • News
    • Deals
    • Videos
    • Bodybuilding
    • CrossFit
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • MMA
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Lifting Gear & Accessories
    • Supplements
    Pre Workouts Without Creatine

    12 Best Pre-Workouts Without Creatine For 2021

    Powerlifting Singlet

    Powerlifting Singlets: All You Need To Know (Reviewed)

    Best Workout Shoes

    16 Best Workout Shoes For Better Performance in 2021

    Trending Tags

    • Ample
    • pre-workout
    • Meal Replacement
    • Pre-Kaged
No Result
View All Result
Bodybuilding, Fitness, CrossFit, Strongman and Powerlifting
No Result
View All Result
Home Muscle Science

Bench Press Vs Pull-Ups Vs Shoulder Press – The Best Upper Body Lift

Justin RobertsonbyJustin Robertson
March 1, 2018
Bench Press Vs Pull-Ups Vs Shoulder Press
  • 2.2Kshares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Messenger

I have been procrastinating somewhat when it comes to writing this article. To officially crown an upper body lift as being superior really is a matter of opinion to a large degree. I will be providing what I feel is evidence to support my own case, but in reality, the result of this Vs battle to end all upper body Vs battles could go in any direction depending on the criteria of the evaluator.

The bench press vs the pull-up vs the shoulder press, right here, right now.

Keep in mind I’m not talking about any of these exercises as far as them being muscle specific building exercises. I have done numerous comparisons in that regard and all of the links to those articles are below. I’m strictly looking at which exercise is the one exercise you should do, if you were to only do one, to develop your upper body to it’s fullest as far as muscle mass is concerned. Of course, doing all of them is ultimately the way that all of us go about it and that is, in fact, the right way, but that’s a pretty boring article: Bench, Pull-up And Overhead Press Your Way To A Big And Strong Upper Body. You wouldn’t even need to read any further.

Starting with the bench press, as that’s where 99.9 percent of us begin our weight training career in some friends basement or high school gym, simply because the movement is so easy and satisfying to complete. As a test of strength between two people, I can’t think of a more commonly used method. Make no mistake, as it is also a great upper body movement using almost every muscle in either a direct or assistance manner. The primary muscles involved are the chest, triceps and front delts. The movement itself is as straightforward as lowering the weight to your chest and pressing it back up, and this to some degree involves the rear delts, serratus, and some lats as well for stabilization.

The pull-up, on the other hand, is not something many of us gravitate towards when we begin lifting. This is because that even though it’s a bodyweight exercise, it’s also really hard to do. If you don’t weigh a lot you tend to do more of these and if you’re heavy you avoid embarrassing yourself by doing only four or five reps. When done with proper form and through a full range of motion, this exercise builds plenty of muscle. Your lats will get plenty of work as well as your traps, rear and front delts and your forearms and biceps. The other benefit that is often forgotten is that a well-executed pull-up involves stretching the back, chest, and shoulders in the bottom position of each rep. For this alone, the pull-up deserves consideration as the king of upper body lifts.

I’m going to spoil this, however, and declare the winner to be the lift I haven’t even discussed yet and that is the shoulder press. So far we are basically talking about two lifts that favor either the front or back of the upper body. If you wanted a winner between the two lifts discussed so far, arguably the pull-up would be the lift I would favor simply because the muscles of the back are so much larger than the muscles of the chest, meaning more mass will be built based on growth potential alone. I’ve wandered off topic though because I was crowning the winner and have yet to discuss why.

To perform the overhead press an overhand grip is used with hands that are roughly shoulder width apart. The bar is then pushed in a straight line upwards by extending the elbows and full extension is reached with the bar directly above the head.

The muscles that most associates with this exercise are the deltoids, the triceps and the upper chest, and this is true although it doesn’t tell the entire story. In order to get to what is really happening during this movement, we need to look deeper. The first part of the exercise involves the abduction of the glenohumeral (GH) joint until your upper arm is about parallel to the ground. From that point to the full extension of the elbows, there will be adduction of the GH joint as the arms are brought back towards the midline of the body. Throughout the entire movement, the GH joint is externally rotated, and the scapula will drive the GH joint movement by superiorly rotating as the arms are extended above the head.

This means that in this one seemingly simple press there is abduction, adduction, external rotation of the GH joint, the extension of the elbow and superior rotation of the scapula. That is a very diverse set of actions that your body must undertake to complete this exercise.

The muscles involved in this complex series of actions are many as well. In the abduction phase, there is the lateral deltoid, the supraspinatus and the biceps brachii. In the adduction phase, there are the front and rear deltoids, teres major, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and the corbrachialis. The infraspinatis, teres minor and rear deltoid are involved in the external rotation. The triceps brachii are involved in the elbow extension and the superior rotation of the scapula involves the muscles of the trapezius and serratus anterior.

Did you catch all of that? The reason for this is that the shoulder is in fact an extremely delicate and vulnerable joint. So many muscles must be used to drive the weight upwards while keeping the integrity of the joint stable.

The shoulder press will indeed develop your shoulders into boulders as well as your upper chest, but it will also develop a good portion of the much sought after v-shaped back that we all work so hard for. This is because of the significant contribution to the lift from the lats, traps and scapular muscles. Not to mention the muscles of your core will be needed to provide the power or your body would just fold over and collapse. Your abdominals and erector spinae will be taxed heavily as will your serratus anterior, which is the very aesthetically pleasing set of muscles that outline the exterior of your ribcage.

All of this means that if for some reason you are forced to choose only one upper body exercise to perform for now and forever, then the choice is simple. Furthermore, if you are seriously pressed for time and you can only get into the gym once or twice in the next week then choosing exercises with the greatest possible upside is paramount. For the rest of the time, just make sure that the overhead shoulder press takes a prominent place in your training. Until next time,

Happy Lifting!

  • The Squat Vs The Leg Press
  • Traditional Vs Sumo Deadlift
  • The Pull Up Vs The Pulldown
  • The Bench Press Vs The Dumbbell Fly
  • The Standing Vs Seated Overhead Press
  • Crunches Vs Planks: The Best Exercise For Ripped Abs
  • The Deadlift Vs The Pull Up Vs The Barbell Row
  • EZ Curl Bar And Preacher Curls Vs Barbell And Dumbbell Curls
  • Compound Vs Isolation Movements
  • Free Weights Vs Machines
  • Dips Vs Bench Press: The Best Chest Building Exercise
  • The Romanian Vs Stiff Leg Deadlift
  • Whey Vs Casein
  • Dips Vs Close Grip Bench Press Vs Skullcrushers
For the latest news and updates please follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
  • 2.2Kshares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Messenger

Join our list

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously

Categories: Muscle Science Muscle-Building
Tags: Bench PressMuscle ScienceMuscle-BuildingPull UpsShoulder Press
Previous Post

Muscle Size Or Strength – Why Not Both?

Next Post

Fat Loss: Steady State Vs Sprints

Justin Robertson

Justin Robertson

Related Posts

Julius Maddox 1
Powerlifting

Julius Maddox Does 750lb Bench Press With Ease, Looks Superhuman

Calisthenics Training
Workout Plans

Calisthenics Training: A Beginner’s Guide

Brad Castleberry
OP-ED

Brad Castleberry Reps Out 5 Plates On Incline Bench

Foundational Exercises
Powerlifting Program

15 Foundational Exercises For The Beginner Powerlifter

Eddie Hall Bench Press Girls
Strongman

Eddie Hall Defies Logic By Bench Pressing 4 People For A Triple (VIDEO)

Supersets Ultimate Guide
Workout Plans

Get More From Your Workouts with Supersets: The Ultimate Guide

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Ronnie Coleman

What Did Ronnie Coleman Eat in His Prime?

Larry Wheels Deadlift PR

Larry Wheels Hits All-Time Personal Record With Earth Shattering 855lb Deadlift Triple, Gets Injured

Blessing Awodibu

Blessing Awodibu Is A Shredded 287lb As He Begins Prep For Pro Debut

Natural Bodybuilding

6 Obvious Signs of a Natural Bodybuilder

Ben Chow Luke Sandoe

Ben Chow, Fouad Abiad Respond To New Details of Luke Sandoe’s Death

How to Avoid Hip Pain

13 Ways to Avoid Hip Pain in The Gym

Kevin Levrone

Kevin Levrone Moves Serious Weight With 12 Reps Of 315lb Behind-The-Neck Press

Julius Maddox 1

Julius Maddox Does 750lb Bench Press With Ease, Looks Superhuman

Recent Reviews

Pre Workouts Without Creatine

12 Best Pre-Workouts Without Creatine For 2021

Powerlifting Singlet

Powerlifting Singlets: All You Need To Know (Reviewed)

Best Workout Shoes

16 Best Workout Shoes For Better Performance in 2021

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com our mission is to educate and inform you about the latest in professional bodybuilding, fitness, and sports-related content. We believe you should have the best information at your fingertips to help you reach your fitness goals and to stay up to date on everything happening in the bodybuilding, fitness and strength sports industry... Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.
FitnessVolt.com - 1700 Lincoln St. Denver, CO. 

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia 2020
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workouts
  • Boost Testosterone
  • German Volume Training
  • Protein-Packed Foods
  • Jefferson Deadlift
  • What Is Hypertrophy

Calculators

    • IF Calculator
    • TDEE Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
    • Keto Calculator
    • RMR Calculator
    • Macronutrient Calculator
    • Creatine Calculator
    • Wilks Calculator
    • EER Calculator
    • FFMI Calculator
    • IBW Calculator
    • LBM Calculator
    • Fat Intake Calculator

 

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • About
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Scholarship
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2021 Fitnes Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Diet
    • News
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Deals
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2021 Fitnes Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

1918