The benefits of doing it behind your head as opposed to in front of it are negligble, and the chances of injury are increased several-fold from the amount of force between your shoulders and your neck.

Personally I'd like to avoid shoulder surgery, and unless you're trying to target specifically your rear deltoids for a body building competition or something it's pretty much unnecessary.

The majority of people in the power racks in the gym aren't even using them.

Force between your shoulders and neck?

I can't comment on how much more dangerous they are compared to the front. But the benefit of doing them at both angles is less then negligible.

I think many exercises people do in the gym are useless, but i've always known both of these to be legitimate exercises.

For example, see this site which discusses the various forces imposed by bringing it down behind your head.

I'm not saying it's bad for you but the possibility of injury is higher, and one's shoulder joints aren't too stable to start with in general.

Sorry for the hijack

the last couple weeks I have seen a lot of the curl guys doing fixed weight barbell curls in the power rack so they can watch themselves while being very close to the mirror...good god people, at least use the rack barbell if you are gonn take up the rack, but a fixed weight bar, wtf?

this goes w/out saying but most people care more about the amount of weight theyre moving than the proper manner in which to move it.

every time i go i see 3-4 meatheads using weights way too heavy for them. they look ridiculous lifting while their hips are flying around and their head is bobbing.

i will be going to the gym tonight not necessarily for health purposes, simply to update this thread

In the year I've worked out at my gym, I've never seen anyone else do a deadlift. Or a power clean, clean and jerk, or barbell shoulder press. Also, zero hot girls in 18-32 range, and I've seen maybe two hot MILFs, one is 35 and speaks mostly Spanish, other is late 40/early 50's and Bulgarian.

Burd,

Where do you live, Siberia?

i have seen deads/cleans done very rarely, usually with poor form...don't think i've ever seen anyone else do a standing barbell overhead press, seated ones all the time...

and really how is it possible that you have never seen a hot chick? do you go at like 3am? go on a saturday at like 10am and there will be tons of chicks on the ellipticals...i lift at a 24hr fitness fwiw...

Surf,

Good to see you lurking around here:

Completely agree with the in-shape = amicable one.

Those that know the most about lifting weights/diet (or at least will verbalize it to innocent bystanders) are usually not in good shape.

I've seen a lot of deadlifts, but I don't think I've ever seen one done correctly. They're all round back pulls. Funniest thing is when a guy gets on a box to do an even deeper round-back deadlift.

Holy **** dude, couldn't agree more. Also what's with the growing trend of out of shape trainers. At least 50% of trainers at the local 24 hr fitness have huge spare tires and/or huge man-boobs.

this is not true at my gym. but maybe its true at ur gym

about the clean and jerk, i think this is probably the coolest thing a person can do in the weight room. if u do it with good form its just awesome. i mean think about. u r taking a ****load of weight from the fround bring it to ur chest. let it stay there for a bit to build upthe anticipation and then u scream (optional lol) and push it over your head. just an awesome thing to do second maybe 2 the bench press. i definitely plan on devoting my workouts around the clean and jerk wheni'm in the weight room from now on.


also i believe this is the one olympic medals are most valuable in for weight lifting