There have been a lot of Bench press/Chest threads lately…So this might be the
time to begin a Delt/Shoulder thread and share my all time favorite shoulder
movement. In 25+ years of training this one has to rank NUMBER ONE for me. It’s the
“LARRY SCOTT DUMBBELL NECK PRESS”…(Obviously invented by Larry Scott).
I do these seated, with a straight up and down 90% back rest… My palms are facing
forward…The dumbbells are in a tipped position, with my pinkies being 3 inches higher
than my thumbs…(It appears as if I’m pouring out 2 cans of soda on my delts).
I press the dumbbells up in an arching motion and look like a lobster doing a jumping-
jack , which means don’t press straight up…This movement was meant to be done in
a fairly wide and deep motion…Plus, a 3 -1-1 cadence seems to work best for me…It
takes a few weeks to get the feel of the movement, so be patient!..Important: in the
beginning it’s far more important to go for the feel of the movement than to
go heavy!!!..If you’re patient enough and master this one, you probably will agree
that this is the best DELT- MASS building movement you have ever used!
If I have missed anything, or if you would like to share your experience with
this movement, PLEASE feel free!!! (Your Brother in iron, Joey Z)
Hey, Joey Z, you forgot to mention that at the top of the movement you should
never come to a complete lock-out position!..Plus, to keep a generous bend in
your elbows thruout the whole movement…The finish position (at the top)
is one third lower than that of conventional dumbbell presses… The dumbbells
should travel towards each other and wind up just short of lockout, about 1-foot
directly over the top your head… (Your arms and shoulders will take on the
appearance of pliers opening an closing thruout the entire movement.)…(Joey Z.)
FINALLY someone else who appreciates the work and wealth of knowledge of Larry Scott! Guys…wanna talk about overcoming genetics? Larry was no more than a short, skinny hayseed out of Idaho who built one of the best physiques EVER. I have, and continue to follow Larry’s training concepts when it comes to shoulders, BICEPS, triceps and CALVES! I would HIGHLY recommend his writings, tapes, newsletters and website ESPECIALLY if you feel that you will never reach your goals because of “genetics”. Great thread, Joey!
Hey, I’m interested in the things on Larry Scott where can I find them? I’m also a skinny person. Also, I’m kinda confused about the explanation of this exercise. Do you start w/ the dumbbells like touching your shoulders then bring them up over your head and touch at the top while keeping them pouring like soda cans?
Thanks for the kind words, Mufasa … I ,too, am a big fan of Larry!..Just try to
imagine how much we owe to the legends of the game, like Larry!..As a teenager
I got to meet quite a few of them…And now to shatter a myth : most of these guys
were perfect gentlemen, and outgoing, too (a lot like our “Coach Davies”) …At a show
they would pose for pictures and sign autoghraphs for as long as people asked, and
(Free of charge!)…They truly have given us so much as far as workouts and technique
that we dont even realize or just take it for granted! … One question, Mufasa: Did
they move Larry’s old web site? I can’t seem to find it anymore… That’s where I got
this great movement, plus a few others… (Joey Z.)
Steve, actually the bottom of the dumbbells should be hovering about 3 inches
over your delts at the bottom position, and your elbows should be pointing
east and west…Now, start the movement be flexing your delts and bringing
the tilted dumbbells to within a 2 inches of each other…A strange concept-
“think of trying to touch your biceps together,” and this will engage the proper
sequence of events…(I read this on Larry’s message board last year.)
(Joey Z.)
Check out Larry’s book “Loaded Guns” lots of cool stuff including BB’ing pics from back in the day. 'Til its over, outlaw
I thought these were done standing, with a slight lean forward into a dumbell rack. Or am I thinking of a different exercise?
eag, Maybe you’ re describing his special posture for side laterals?..and just possibly
thru an act of serendipity I have discovered THE shoulder movement of a lifetime?
(Artists, refer to this as a happy accident!) …This technique has allowed me to do “heavy”
over-head dumbbell presses in a “controlled,” yet powerful fashion!..all this with a bad
bicep tendonitis flareup…Hopefully, someone else can help us out here…( Thanks for
the reply, Joey Z.)
You may have created a new exercise. I had remembered reading about these then kind of forgot about them till you brought them up. if you check out Larry Scott’s website and read the November 1998 Newsletter, he describes doing these presses with a slight lean into a DB rack. But, whatever works, works. Good luck with your training.
I went to Larry’s “new” site and couldn’t find exactly what I was looking
for… This site has definitely changed…The pressing motion they describe,
is at the same time both different and similar to mine !..We both tilt the
dumbbells in about the same manner, with palms facing front the whole time,
and we both come down wide and press up in an arc without locking out, while
pointing the elbows outward…Now for what’s different…I’m sitting on a hi-back
incline bench, and he’s standing up and leaning against a fixed object.
(dumbbell rack) I use a 3-1-1 cadence, and he uses a 5-0-1…It appears that
I’m doing a cross between his movement and a traditional seated dumbbell
press…eag, thanks for a gracious explanation of my apparent GOOF!
The funny thing is that this “goof movement” will still remain the center piece
of my shoulder routine because it’s worked wonders for my medial delts!
The only problem is that now I don’t what the hell to call it!..Again, eag, thanks!
(Joey Z.)