Military vs Shoulder Press: What are the main differences?

Most people involved in fitness will have heard of the shoulder press, which is a key driver to improving upper body strength.

There is a similar movement called the military press, which is slightly different and has just as big of an impact.

The difference between a military press and shoulder press

The military press focuses more on the shoulders and triceps than the shoulder press because there is no movement from the legs.

Bodybuilders will usually practice the military press in order to produce more muscle-building tension.

Conversely, a shoulder press requires you to use your legs, which allows more weight to be lifted overhead in a similar manner to the jerk movement that's used in Olympic weightlifting.

How to do a military press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip and rest it on your collarbone.

Raise the bar overhead in a controlled motion.

Fully extend your arms at the top of the movement and put your head through your arms.

Slowly lower the weight back down to your collar bone.

How to do a shoulder press

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and grip the bar with your fingertips, elbows pointing forward.

Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders.

Drop down into a shallow squat, centring your weight under the barbell.

Press up through your heels.

Drive the bar directly above your head until your arms are straight.

Lower the bar down to your chest. Maintain a neutral arch in your spine throughout the move.

This improves your raw strength and power, so weightlifters will push press when training.

Military press versus shoulder press

If your aim is to improve your power, the shoulder press is best because of the extra weight you are moving. The dip movement creates momentum which is where you generate the power

For athletic potential, the shoulder press has more potential than the military press because of the speed and strength the movement provides. That said, if you're a top athlete, you should do both exercises.

In terms of pure strength, both exercises work if gaining muscle is your end goal. For purely shoulder strength, the military press gets the nod ahead of the shoulder press.

The conclusion is both exercises are great, but the push press is better to become a little bit fitter and can provide bigger gains.

If you're new to fitness or the gym, the military press is the best exercise to start off with because it's slightly easier, but there's no reason why you can't put the shoulder press exercise into your exercise regime after a couple months of training.

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