The human shoulder is a very mobile and complex joint, with movement across multiple planes. However, it is very weak when pressing overhead.

This is an issue because of the number of overhead movements we encounter in daily life, sport and resistance training: a split jerk in weightlifting, a tennis serve, putting a heavy object onto a high shelf or lifting a teammate in a rugby line out.

It is therefore essential that we are strong in any overhead pressing, so that we are prepared for such positions, which is where we can use a shoulder superset. Curious? Read our guide on What is a superset workout?

What is a Superset?

A superset is simply performing two exercises in back-to-back sets, instead of performing the exercises on their own. Usually this is done with little to no rest between the exercises.

A superset can serve a variety of functions: to increase muscle damage (through pre-exhaustion or post-exhaustion), to improve technique, to pre-activate relevant musculature or even to improve power output.

1 - Barbell Military Press (x8 repetitions)

• With your hand just outside shoulder width, un-rack the bar, with the Barbell sitting just above your clavicle, and your elbow swung underneath/slightly in front of the barbell

• From there, place your feet together, as if standing to salute (hence the name ‘military press’).

• Now simply drive the bar over-head, until your arms are fully locked out, as if trying to touch the sky with the bar, dipping your head out of the way of the bar ‘like a pigeon’, to create a vertical bar path.

• Take a deep breath and brace at the top, before reversing the movement and repeating.

Key Tip

Make sure you are dipping your head out of the way (‘like a pigeon’) to create a vertical bar path. The body is very clever in that it will find a way to produce a movement, even if it puts us at risk (hence the term ‘compensation’). In this case, if we don’t dip our head out of the way, it can lead to excessive spinal extension.

2 - Barbell Push Press (x4 repetitions)

• Un-rack the bar, the same way you did with the barbell military press.

• Next, assume a slightly wider stance, approximately shoulder width, which will allow you to ‘use your legs’.

• Dip at the knees and extend your legs powerfully, like a very shallow squat, before driving the bar over-head, until your arms are fully locked out, as if trying to touch the sky with the bar, dipping your head out of the way of the bar, in the same way mentioned above, creating a vertical bar path.

• Again, brace at the top, before lowering the weight, and repeating the movement.

Key Tip

Take your time to brace properly at the top of the movement; it is a lot harder to create a strong brace once the bar is already at the bottom because the weight of the bar is somewhat driving down on the rib cage, making it harder to take in a deep breath.

Add this superset to your training to get head and shoulders above the rest (if you’ll pardon the pun).

Want even more? Check out our full shoulder workout.

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout