Shoulder Press Accessory Lifts

Today I want to talk about a few exercises that can improve your overhead press and, ultimately, your overall shoulder strength.

Before we get into the exercises, let’s answer an important question.

What is an accessory lift?

An accessory lift is an exercise that targets a specific muscle or muscle group that contributes to a larger, primary movement.

For example, the deadlift is considered a primary lift. A hamstring curl would be considered an accessory exercise because it strengthens one of the major muscle groups involved in the deadlift.

The hamstrings are certainly important during a deadlift, but they are only one piece of the entire posterior chain.

The same concept applies to the overhead shoulder press.

The shoulder press is a fantastic primary lift, but there are several accessory exercises that can improve strength, stability, and control overhead.

Here are three of my favorites.

1. Prone Field Goals

I prescribe this exercise to many of my overhead athletes as part of their arm care program. (Check out last week's email to read more about arm care programs)

For this exercise, you lie on your stomach holding a light weight in each hand. From there, you press the weights overhead as high as you comfortably can.

Think of it as performing an overhead press while lying face down.

Because of your body position, gravity places much greater demand on the muscles on the back of the shoulder, particularly the infraspinatus and supraspinatus.

At the same time, the rhomboids and trapezius muscles have to work hard to stabilize the shoulder blade throughout the movement.

This makes it an excellent exercise for overhead athletes who need both strength and stability.

2. Alternating Toe Taps

This is one of my favorite exercises for improving shoulder stability while also working overhead mobility.

Start in a push-up position.

From there, reach your right hand toward your left foot by hinging at the hips. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite hand.

As your mobility improves, try raising your hips higher toward the ceiling. This places the shoulder into a more overhead position while requiring the surrounding muscles to stabilize the joint.

This exercise challenges the anterior deltoid, upper fibers of the pectoralis major, serratus anterior, core, and shoulder stabilizers all at the same time.

It is a great example of combining mobility and strength into one movement.

3. Overhead Shoulder Press Rotations

I feel like I talk about this exercise all the time.

That is because I think it is one of the best shoulder exercises you can perform.

Start with a dumbbell in each hand and your elbows bent to 90 degrees.

Bring the weights together in front of your body and press them overhead.

From the fully overhead position, slowly rotate your arms outward into a “field goal” position before lowering the weights back down to your starting position.

This movement takes the shoulder through a large range of motion while strengthening nearly every muscle that contributes to overhead function.

The rotator cuff, deltoids, pectoralis major, serratus anterior, rhomboids, and trapezius all contribute to this movement.

I also like this exercise because it exposes the shoulder to controlled motion through multiple planes. Over time, appropriately loading these positions can improve strength, coordination, and the body’s ability to tolerate overhead activities.

One thing I would add is that this exercise should be performed with relatively light weights early on. The goal is smooth, controlled movement through the entire range of motion. As you become consistent, you should be able to increase the weight gradually. 

If you are struggling with overhead strength or experiencing discomfort while pressing overhead, give these exercises a try.

If you would like to see demonstrations of each exercise, along with a few of my favorite variations, click the video link here.