Humans tend to be inherently weak at pressing overhead, relative to other movements. However, being strong overhead and developing strong shoulders has an array of benefits in day-to-day life and in sport. For example, lifting heavy objects above your head to/from a shelf or performing a tennis serve.

The key difference between free weights and machines are that machines provide a more stable base from which to push through a fixed mechanism, unlike free weights that require more stability to perform the exercise as intended. The Plate Loaded Shoulder Press Machine is no different in this regard.

But with this in mind, what are the benefits to each of these in your training?

Machine Shoulder Press

Helps Stop Compensation

During freely moving tasks, our bodies have to ‘self-organise’ around the environment. When we have injuries or weaker areas, like the shoulders, our body is very clever and sneaky at organising away from loading that area as much as we may be trying to. You may do this by arching the back as much as possible or changing the angle of your grip. With a machine, you can set your body in the exact positions you want to load, making it easier to target certain muscle groups.

Pushes Close to Failure

The machine has a lesser demand for technique, and thus, as you fatigue, technique doesn’t become as much of a limiting factor. Therefore, you are able to push closer to failure than with a dumbbell shoulder press. This makes it a great exercise for driving shoulder hypertrophy if your technique holds you back from pushing close to failure usually.

How to Perform a Machine Shoulder Press

• Sit upright on the machine, with your back right up against the seat. Make sure it is adjusted to a height so that the handles sit just above the height of your collar bone.

• Grasp the handles evenly on both sides, pinning your shoulders back and down towards your bum as you do so.

• Take a deep breath.

• Drive the handles to the sky until your elbows are fully locked out.

• Slowly reverse the movement to complete the rep.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Requires More Stability

With the dumbbells being freely moving, better technique and more stability is required to perform the movement. This makes the exercise more difficult but arguably more closely related to day to day and sporting exercises, of which occur in a freely moving environment. Therefore, you may use this as a progression from your machine shoulder press.

Increased Range of Motion

The dumbbells being freely moving means that you can get more range of motion out of the exercise as you can twist your wrists into the bottom position if you are looking to get maximal range of motion to train your muscles at longer lengths.

How to Perform a Dumbbell Shoulder Press

• Sit upright on a Bench with your back right up against the seat.

• Initially hold a dumbbell on each knee before alternately kicking them up to your shoulder height with your knees (have someone spot you if you are new to this technique).

• Make sure the Dumbbells and your wrists are stacked over your elbows so that they don’t feel like they’re going to fall into your lap.

• Take a deep breath.

• Drive the dumbbells to the sky until your elbows are fully locked out.

• Slowly reverse the movement, to as deeper position as your shoulders allow, to complete the rep.

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Equipment > Dumbbells ; Equipment > Gym Machines ; Exercise Type > Strength