Performing the Overhead Press with your elbows under or behind the bar is bad technique. You must readjust your elbows on each rep so they’re in front of the bar when looking from the side.

Why Does It Matter? Tony asked in StrongLfits.com Forum why you must start the Overhead Press with your elbows in front of the bar on each rep.

I understand what the proper form is for OHP. I have read Starting Strength and referred back to it several times. I have read Mehdi’s articles about the lift several times also. I have watched all the videos that have been posted here about the lift. I know that it is emphasized that the elbows be in front of the bar and not under it.

My question is, Why?

On Bench Press, I put the bar right on the base of my palm, right where the thumb connects to the palm, then wrap thumb and fingers around the bar. My wrist cannot roll back this way. However, on OHP, with elbows in front, it seems like it causes your wrists to roll back so the weight of the bar is now near your fingers and not on the base of the palm.

I know in Mehdi’s article on OHP (and other places) it says to keep the bar near base of palm and keep elbows in front of bar. How can you do both? If I keep my elbows under the bar my wrists are in the perfect position to let the bar sit right on the base of my palm. No wrist bending at all. But if I put the elbows in front, my wrists automatically roll back to accommodate this position and so the bar ends up closer to my fingers and not on the base of the palm anymore.

It seems anatomically impossible to put your elbows in front of the bar but still keep the bar on the base of the palm and don’t let the wrist roll back. And if the wrists are back it doesn’t seem safe for them and it sure doesn’t feel strong to me.

The Wrist Issue. You can’t keep your wrists perfectly straight on the Overhead Press. Look at this, this, this, this & this pictures of weight lifters doing the Jerk. Their wrists are slightly bent. You can’t avoid it.

But you can minimize it. Your wrists can bend more if you put the bar close to your fingers. This stretches your wrists the hard way, increasing risks of injury. Put the bar close to the heel of your hand.

Lack of flexibility makes it harder to get into the correct Overhead Press starting position. Keep your chest up at all times. Stretch your wrists & triceps, improve thoracic mobility and do shoulder dislocations.

Hyperirradation. When you do a weight lifting exercise, tightening each muscle in your body during the whole movement makes you stronger. In Power to The People Pavel Tsatsouline calls this hyperirradation.

How does this makes you stronger? You increase neural stimulation and can lift from a more stable position. Some ways to do this are: squeezing the bar hard, squeeze your glutes hard, planting your feet into the ground, …

The Lats. On the Overhead Press you can apply hyperirradation using your lats. Pull your shoulders into their socket by flexing your lats. Imagine you have a tennis ball in your armpit and you’re trying to squeeze it.

Try it now. Make a big chest. Bring your right arm in the correct Overhead Press starting position: elbows forward. Tighten your right fist, pec & lat. Squeeze your armpit. Compare tension when your elbow is not forward.

When you put your elbows forward on the Overhead Press, your lats act like a cushion where you can press from. You can lift more weight this way. This is why increasing your strength on Pull-ups help your Overhead Press.

How much your elbows should be in front of the bar depends on your built. Put your elbows in a position which lets you drive up with your forearms vertical and which lets you use your lats in the starting position.

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My shoulders have always been below par. They can’t handle too much stress. So, as I was at my Overhead Press max, I used my legs to complete all reps.

Is the Push Press a cheating movement? It allows the use of more weight, that’s evident. But isn’t shoulder strength compromised? Should I start using Push Press or stick to the Overhead Press?

Abhishek did the Push Press: Overhead Press using leg drive. You can see it in the video below. Notice he doesn’t start with a) the bar on his chest b) elbows in front of the bar. The former is cheating, the later inefficient.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Push Press. You can lift more on the Push Press than the Overhead Press because you’re using more muscles. 20kg and more is possible depending on your technique, how much you can Squat and how fast you are.

The Push Press is not a cheating movement. But you’re cheating when turning the Overhead Press in a Push Press because the weight is too heavy. You’re not doing Half Squats when Squats get heavy. Same for the Press.

How to Deal with Stalling. If you struggle to get 5 reps on all 5 sets of the Overhead Press on StrongLifts 5×5, here’s what you should do:

• Keep The Weight. Do as many of the 5 reps you can on all 5 sets. If you only get 1 rep on some sets, so be it. Don’t lower the weight.
• Lift Correctly. Keep your knees locked & lower back straight — squeeze your glutes. No leg drive and no hyper-extension of your lower back.
• Try 3 Times. If you didn’t get 5 reps on all 5 sets, use the same weight next workout B. Try to at least beat your previous total amount of reps.
• Deload. You used the same weight for 3 workouts B, but you still don’t have 5×5. Lower the weight by 20% & add 2.5kg each workout B.

When & How to Push Press. Once you’re an intermediate lifter, you can use the Push Press to overload your muscles. Triceps & core work harder because of the increased weight. But the leg drive makes your shoulder’s job easier.

Push Press technique is a mix of the Front Squat & Overhead Press:

• Assume the Overhead Press starting position
• Dip under while keeping your weight on the heels
• Aggressively extend your hips & knees, squeezing the glutes
• Use the momentum built by your hip extension to press the weight up
• Shift your torso forward when the bar reaches forehead level
• Lockout the weight

Co-ordination & speed of movement are key. Learn to Squat & Overhead Press correctly before trying the Push Press.

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Seated vs. Overhead Press. The Seated Press works less muscles than the Overhead Press. Your legs are removed from the movement. And your abs & lower back don’t need to stabilize the weight as much.

You can alternate the Overhead Press with the Seated Press to give your lower back a break from the heavy Squats & Deadlifts. Keith Wassung recommends this to improve your Overhead Press.

Lower Back Safety. Arching your spine while loaded can cause lower back injuries. You can avoid this on the Overhead Press by squeezing your glutes. This technique doesn’t work as well on the Seated Press. Some tips:

• Use Backpadding. Push your lower back against it. Make sure your head is unsupported so you can tilt your head back while pressing.
• Tighten Your Abs. Push your abs out while tightening them. Plant your feet on the floor and squeeze your calves & glutes hard.

Seated Press Setup. Take the bar out of the uprights & sit down. Or unrack the bar from the safety pins. Or Power Clean the bar on your chest.

• Wide Stance. Wide is more stable than narrow. Use the same stance as for the Bench Press: push your knees out.
• Weight on Heels. Plant your feet into the ground. Curl your toes up if necessary & squeeze your calves.
• Grip Width. About 46cm/18″. The larger your build, the wider your grip. Hands should never touch your shoulders.
• Gripping the Bar. Grip is same as for the Bench Press. Bar close to your wrist, in the base of your palm. Not close to your fingers.
• Chest Up. Make a big chest & lift it up. Makes it easier to use your back muscles & shortens the distance the bar has to travel.
• Elbows Forward. Elbows in front of the barbell when looking from the side. Not upper-arms parallel with the floor, it’s not a Front Squat.
• Look Forward. Looking up is bad for your neck. Look forward, fix a point on the wall before you.

The Seated Press. Technique is same as for the Overhead Press. Except you can’t squeeze your glutes. Don’t let your lower back arch. Aggressively shift your torso forward as soon as the bar leaves your chest.

• Tilt Head Back. Quickly tilt your head back so the bar can pass your chin/nose without hitting them. Keep looking forward.
• Shift Torso Forward. Once the bar reaches forehead level, shift your torso forward. Continue pressing the weight overhead.
• Head Forward. Your chin should almost touch your chest when the weight is overhead. Look forward, not down.
• Lock Everything. Squeeze shoulders, traps & back. Lock your elbows.

Here’s a video of the Seated Press. I Press without backpadding because my bench doesn’t allow me to tilt my head back when I put it upright. I Power Clean the weight before starting the Seated Press.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Common Errors. The biggest error is doing the Seated Press like the Incline Bench Press: starting with your arms extended. The Seated Press starts with the bar on your chest. Power Clean the bar on each set to build this habit.

• Lower Back Arched. Guaranteed way to injure your lower back. Belts won’t help. Focus on your technique. Lower the weight if necessary.
• Head Supported. You can’t tilt your head back if your head is supported by the bench. Worst case Press without backpadding.
• Looking Up. Makes it impossible to lock out the weight & causes neck pain. Look forward, including when tilting your head back.
• Elbows & Chest. You’ll forget to reposition yourself between reps at first. Start each rep with elbows in front of the bar & chest up.
• Bar Low. The higher the bar on your chest, the shorter the distance it has to travel. Put the bar close to your clavicles. Quickly tilt your head back & forth. Clavicles might hurt at first, your skin will adapt & thicken.

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Press. The correct name for the Overhead Press is Press. Most say Overhead Press to avoid confusion with the Bench Press.

The Press is done with feet shoulder-width apart. You can use a staggered stance. Keep your knees locked during the whole lift. Your arms & shoulders push the weight overhead while your torso shifts forward.

Military Press. The Press done with heels together. This makes the Military Press harder than the Press. Intermediate & advanced trainees can use the Military Press as overload: switching to the Press will feel easy.

Push Press. This is a Press using leg drive. The leg drive allows you to lift more weight than with the Press. Proper leg drive gets the bar off your shoulders to nose/forehead level. Your arms only need to lockout the weight.

Perform a short dip, like a quarter Squat. Then drive up, pressing the bar using shoulders & arms. The faster the drive up, the more weight you can Push Press. Lift fast & squeeze your glutes hard.

Jerk. This is what weightlifters like Brent do. Perform a short dip, drive up with your hips, then dip under the bar again while straightening your arms. The Jerk is an explosive movement which allows you to lift the most weight overhead.

If you want to build muscle in arms & shoulders, the Jerk isn’t the best exercise: upper-body is more stabilizing than pressing. Different Jerk styles are possible: split style (left) & squat style (right).

Left: Split Style Jerk. Right: Squat Style Jerk. Image: dehwang

Behind Neck Press. The Press done with the barbell in your neck instead of on your shoulders. Bad posture & lack of upper-body flexibility will cause injury on this exercise. Do shoulder dislocations before trying the Behind Neck Press.

You can do the Behind Neck Press military style, push press style or jerk style.

More Press Variations. There are more Press variations, you’re only limited by your own creativity. Here’s a non-definite list of Overhead Press variations.

• Seated Press. The Press done seated. Stresses your lower back & legs less. Strength is equal to the Press.
• Reverse Grip Press. The Press done with the palms facing you. Old time strongman exercise.
• Bent Press. The Press done with one hand while twisting under the weight. Picture on the right.
• Bench Press. Actually a variation of the Press: the Press is the oldest exercise of the two.
• Olympic Press. Part of Weightlifting competitions until 1972. Press involving leaning back.

Which Press Variation Should You Do? Each Press variation has benefits and drawbacks. Beginners should start with the Overhead Press. Intermediate & advanced trainees can experiment with Military Press, Push Press, Jerks, etc.

Substituting the Press When You Stall. One reader asked:

“The technique for the Overhead Press you describe stipulates that you lock your knees and lift from a complete stop. I’m finding it difficult to press the barbell from a standstill now that I’ve added 20 lbs. Other instructions explain you should bend at the knees a couple of inches and then explode up and push the weight as you rise.“

You don’t start doing Half Squats when the Squat gets hard. In the same way, you don’t start using leg drive & perform a Push Press when the Press gets hard. You work at it, apply deload techniques if needed & persist.

If you want to build muscle you need to get stronger. Never substitute one exercise for another because it gets hard. It’s called cheating.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Up to 1972 the Overhead press was part of Weightlifting competitions. Flexible athletes arched their back to press more weight overhead. This made judging hard, causing the removal of the Overhead Press from competitions.

Today the Overhead Press has lost favor for the Bench Press. Which is a shame, as the Overhead Press is in many ways a better exercise than the Bench Press. That’s why the Overhead Press is part of StrongLifts 5×5 program.

You won’t see many people do the Overhead Press in the average gym. Hard to find someone to teach you how to do the Overhead Press correctly. This guide will help you – how to Overhead Press with correct technique.

What’s the Overhead Press? Press the bar from your front shoulders overhead until your elbows are locked. Your knees stay locked during the whole lift with feet shoulder-width apart. Overhead Press variations include:

• Military Press. Overhead Press with heels together.
• Push Press. Overhead Press using leg drive.
• Jerk. One of the two lifts in Weightlifting: the Olympic Jerk.
• And many more.

Note that the correct name for the Overhead Press is Press. The Press is always done Overhead. Many say Overhead Press to avoid confusion with the Bench Press. The Bench Press is a variation of the Press, not the other way around.

I use Overhead Press on this strength training blog because that’s what you probably searched for. Below is a video of the Overhead Press. I first Power Clean the weight on my front shoulders.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Is the Overhead Press Safe? If you can’t press the bar overhead, lower it back on your chest & put it on the floor like in the above Overhead Press video. You’ll never find yourself stuck under the bar like with the Bench Press.

Like with any barbell exercise, you’ll have problems finding balance the first time you try to Overhead Press. Start light, focus on your technique & add weight progressively. You’ll improve.

Benefits of The Overhead Press. You can lift more weight with the Bench Press than with the Overhead Press. But the Overhead Press has many benefits over the Bench Press. Some examples:

• Full Body. The Overhead Press works your body as one piece. Your trunk & legs stabilize the weight while your shoulders, upper-chest & arms press the weight overhead.
• Builds Muscle. Abs & back stabilize the weight. Shoulders, upper-chest & triceps press the weight overhead. The Overhead Press builds the physique of old-time strongman like Eugen Sandow.
• Healthy Shoulders. The Bench Press works your front shoulders more than your back shoulders. The Overhead Press works all shoulder heads equally. Alternating the Overhead Press with the Bench Press minimizes risks of shoulder injuries caused by muscle imbalances.
• It’s Fun. Picking up a weight from the floor & pressing it overhead is more fun than pressing the same weight while lying on a Bench.

Elbows forward, chest up, forward look, head tilts back. Image credit: Robby Macklem

Overhead Press Setup. Put the bar on your front shoulders by taking it out of the uprights of your power rack or by Powercleaning the weight on every set.

• Foot Stance. Shoulder-width apart. Try a staggered stance: one foot 5-10cm/3-4″ in front of the other one.
• Grip Width. About 46cm/18″. The larger your build, the wider your grip. Hands should never touch your shoulders.
• Gripping the Bar. Grip is same as for the Bench Press. Bar close to your wrist, in the base of your palm. Not close to your fingers.
• Chest Up. Make a big chest & lift it up. Makes it easier to use your back muscles & shortens the distance the bar has to travel.
• Elbows Forward. Elbows in front of the barbell when looking from the side. Not upper-arms parallel with the floor, it’s not a Front Squat.
• Look Forward. Looking up is bad for your neck. Look forward, fix a point on the wall before you.
• Squeeze Your Glutes. Makes it impossible to arch your lower back, thus increasing safety. Squeeze your glutes hard.

Correct Overhead Press grip on the right: bar close to wrists.

Performing the Overhead Press. Press the bar overhead in a straight line, that’s the shortest distance from start to finish. Unfortunately your head is in the way. So you’ll need to move your head & torso during the Overhead Press.

• Tilt Head Back. Quickly tilt your head back so the bar can pass your chin/nose without hitting them. Keep looking forward.
• Shift Torso Forward. Once the bar reaches forehead level, shift your torso forward. Continue pressing the weight overhead.
• Head Forward. Your chin should almost touch your chest when the weight is overhead. Look forward, not down.
• Lock Everything. Squeeze shoulders, traps & back. Lock your elbows. End position should look like in the picture below.

End position: chin close to chest, forward look, upper-back & traps squeezed. Image: dehwang.

Tips to Improve Your Overhead Press Technique. Common errors you’ll make while learning how to Overhead Press with correct technique.

• Elbows Forward, Chest Up. You’ll forget to reposition yourself between reps at first. Start each rep with elbows in front of the bar & chest up.
• Bar High. The higher the bar on your chest, the shorter the distance it has to travel. Put the bar close to your clavicles. Quickly tilt your head back & forth. Clavicles might hurt at first, your skin will adapt & thicken.
• Go Forward. You’ll miss reps if you stay back vs. getting under the bar. Shift your torso forward when the bar reaches forehead level.
• Breathing. If you breathe at the top, you can bounce the bar off your chest making the next rep easier. Breathe at the bottom & you’ll press from a dead stop, making the next rep harder. The former allows more weight. The latter makes the exercise harder, making the former easier.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

“I’ve read the description of the Overhead Press many times and it doesn’t seem to click for me. I’ve got the bar on the rack at shoulder height. Hands shoulder width apart and elbows pointing forward. Legs are where they are for a Squat.

When I press overhead my elbows shoot away from my body. It feels like I’m using arm strength rather than shoulder strength to move the bar. I’m squeezing the glutes when doing the Overhead Press.

Is this right or should I drop down in weight? I start to feel it in my shoulders at about the 3rd set rather than right away.”

Front Squat Elbow Position. Your shoulders carry the weight during the Front Squat. Not your wrists. Therefore your elbows must be high: upper-arms parallel with the floor. Elbows pointing forward.

Check the picture below. Elbows are high, close to 90° armpit angle.

If your elbows point forward, you can’t use your shoulders efficiently. You’re isolating your arm muscles. The Press becomes a Triceps Extension.

Take a look at Ken Patera in the picture elbow. He pressed 535lbs Overhead in the late 70s. One of the best to learn from.

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Jim’s comment in my training log:

“Is the Overhead Press done by standing upright and pressing the weight above your head?

That strength training exercise puts lots of stress on my lower back. Do you use a belt? “

Yes the Overhead Press is done standing upright while pressing the weight above your head. Yes the Overhead press will stress your lower back.

No I don’t use a belt & no my lower back doesn’t hurt when I press overhead. Here’s why yours does.

Why Your Lower back Hurts on the Overhead Press. What’s keeping your torso upright? Two things. Your abs & your lower back.

Your abs give you support from the front. Your lower back gives you support from the back. If one is stronger than the other, the strongest will bear all the weight. This leads to pain & eventually injury.

Your abs & lower back should be equally strong. I never met someone whose lower back was weaker than his abs. Most people, including me, have a strong lower back. Especially if you Deadlift.

Strengthen Your Abs. Endless bodyweight crunches won’t give you strong abs. Here are some exercises that will:

• Weighted Roman Chair Sit-ups. Put the weight on your chest.
• Waiter Walks. Hold dumbbell overhead in one hand. Walk with it.
• Overhead Squats. Squat while keeping a barbell overhead.
• Hanging Bent-Leg Raises. Hang on pull-up bar. Bring knees to chest.
• Hanging Pikes. Hang on pull-up bar. Straight legs. Feet against bar.

There are many more exercises. Pick one of the above. Do 5 sets of 5 reps at the end of your workout. Apply progressive loading like with any other exercise. Remember: abs react to stress as all other muscles do.

That’s for the abs strengthening part. Next Overhead Press technique.

Squeeze Your Glutes. If you squeeze your glutes, your pelvis can’t tilt forward. Forward pelvis tilt leads to arching of the lower back, which is as bad as bending of the lower back.

Bring your hips forward & squeeze your glutes hard. Tighten everything from toes to chest. The only thing that should move during the Overhead Press are your arms, torso & head.

Keep Your Back Straight. Picture on top. Vasily Alexeyev doing an Olympic Press with 474lbs (1971 – Peru). Notice his lower back: hyper-extended. You need strong abs & a healthy spine for doing an Olympic Press.

Technique on the Overhead Press doesn’t involve hyper-extension of your back.

• Squeeze your glutes
• Chest up
• Shoulders back & down
• Elbows forward
• Torso slightly behind vertical

Once the bar leaves your front shoulders, your torso goes forward. If your torso goes to the back, you’re doing an Olympic Press not an Overhead Press.

Increase Back Health. Strength training never causes injury when correct technique is used. What it does is showing pre-existing conditions. If your lower back is stiff from all the Squats & Deadlifts: do some spinal decompressions. If you have symptoms of lordosis, do some glute activation.

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