The military press is an exercise designed to strengthen and develop your shoulder muscles. Unfortunately, the exercise can cause wrist pain in some individuals. This pain can occur for several reasons, including poor form and medical conditions. You may need to avoid doing the military press, but there are other exercises you can do to strengthen your shoulder without putting too much pressure on your wrists.
Military Press
The military press can be performed with a barbell, dumbbells, machines or cables, but the movement pattern and hand positioning for each version is the same. Grab the object you are lifting with an overhand grip with your hands a few inches wider than shoulder-width apart. The weight and your hands should be located near your shoulder with your arms bent and elbows to the side of your body. Your wrists should be in line with your forearms and elbows. Once this position is assumed, push the weight upward by extending your arms. Continue pressing until your arms have reached full extension with the weight overhead.
Form
The biggest problem some people have when performing the military press is the positioning of their wrists during the lift. When using heavy weights, it is easy to let your wrists rotate back toward your body while pushing the weight upward, but doing so can cause wrist pain. Forearm strength is crucial in bracing the wrists and holding them in the correct position throughout the lift. If you can't maintain a straight line throughout wrist, forearm and elbow during the exercise, then you should use a lighter weight so you can maintain proper form.
Medical Conditions
Not all wrist pain during the military press can be accounted for by poor form. The MayoClinic.com states that wrist pain is also associated with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis and inflammation of the hands. These problems can be aggravated by gripping objects. If you are experiencing pain when performing the military press that is not due to improper form, stop performing the military press and consult your doctor to determine the underlying cause of your pain.
Alternate Exercises
If you can't handle the load on the wrists when performing the military press or the hand positioning is painful, you should use alternate lifts. The side raise and front raise are just two of many exercises you can substitute for the military press. The side raise is performed by moving your arms upward laterally. The front raise is performed by raising your arms from your sides to straight in front of you. These exercises will still work your shoulders but put less stress on your wrists.
