How to do the overhead press
The overhead press is the strictest test of upper-body strength in the gym because nothing else is holding you up. It is also the slowest lift to progress, which makes an honest log more useful here than anywhere else.
- Type
- Lift
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Barbell and Rack
- Works
- Front deltoids and Triceps
- Also worked
- Upper chest, Traps, Abdominals, and Glutes
- Also called
- Strict Press, Military Press, and Shoulder Press
Set up
- Set the bar at upper-chest height and take a grip just outside shoulder width.
- Unrack with the bar resting on your front delts and upper chest, elbows slightly ahead of the bar.
- Step back and stand with feet hip-width apart, squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs.
The rep
- Take a breath, brace, and pull your chin back so the bar has a straight path past your face.
- Press the bar up in a vertical line, not around your head.
- As the bar clears your forehead, push your head through so it finishes stacked over your midfoot.
- Lock the elbows with the bar over your ears, then lower under control back to the front rack.
Cues that help
- Chin back, then head through — the bar goes straight, your head moves out of the way.
- Squeeze your glutes to stop your ribs flaring and your lower back arching.
- Finish with your biceps by your ears, not out in front of you.
Common mistakes
Leaning back to make the bar path easier
A hard lean turns the press into a poorly supported incline bench and loads your lumbar spine. Brace the trunk and move your head instead.
Pressing around the face
An arc costs you leverage at the hardest point. Move your head back so the bar can travel in a line.
Expecting squat-sized jumps
Adding 1 kg (2 lb) a week to your press is excellent progress. Trying for more just means more missed reps.
How to progress it
Use the smallest plates the gym has — fractional plates of 0.5 or 1 kg are worth buying if you press seriously. When you can no longer add weight, add a rep, then add a set, then reset lighter and build back.
How to track it
Log sets, reps and weight per session. Given how slowly the press moves, set your progress view to a longer window — three months of press data shows a trend that four weeks cannot.
Log your overhead press
Opens the lift form with Overhead Press already filled in. Free account, no card.
Overhead Press questions
Standing or seated?
Standing trains the trunk to stabilise the load and carries over better to everyday lifting. Seated lets you press more weight. Both are useful; just do not compare their numbers to each other.
Why do my lower back and abs ache after pressing?
Usually because you are extending through the lumbar spine to get the bar overhead. Squeeze your glutes and brace hard, and consider whether you have the shoulder mobility to press vertically at all.
Can I push press instead?
A push press uses leg drive and will always be heavier. It is a good way to overload the lockout, but log it separately so it does not contaminate your strict press record.