The hammer press is a shoulder press with a different hand grip. On a standard shoulder press, your palms face forward, but for a hammer press, your palms face each other. You work the same muscles with either grip, but the hammer version gives you a different feel to the exercise.
Identification
The hammer press works your shoulder muscles, mainly the lateral deltoids, which are the muscles on the sides of your shoulder. Hold the weight at shoulder level with your palms facing each other. This mimics your hand position when you swing a hammer. Press the weight overhead until your arms are straight. Pause for a count and then slowly lower the weight back to shoulder level.
Equipment
You cannot use a barbell for the hammer press because it does not accommodate a hammer grip. Dumbbells give you the largest range of motion and flexibility, but they also pose a danger as you can drop them on your head. Most shoulder press machines have a hammer grip option, as well as an overhand grip. The machine balances the weight for you, allowing you to use more weight than you can with dumbbells. However, you are stuck in the path of the machine, which may or may not be comfortable for you.
Sets and Reps
The amount of sets and reps you do during your hammer press workout depends on your fitness goals. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends one to three sets of five to eight repetitions each if you want to increase your shoulder strength. Do one to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions each if you want to increase your muscular endurance. To increase your pressing power, which is strength and speed, do one to three sets of three to five repetitions each. Use a weight that fatigues your shoulder muscles within the prescribed repetition range.
Shoulder Workouts
The hammer press mainly targets the side deltoids, which is only one of the three main shoulder muscles. Incorporate other shoulder exercises into your workout to hit all the muscles. The hammer press is a compound exercise that also works muscles in your upper back and arms. Isolation exercises, such as lateral raises and front raises, allow you to isolate the shoulder muscles from different angles. Include shoulder presses with other grips to add variety to your workout.
