How to Overhead Press with Correct Technique
Oct 1st, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Exercise, Overhead Press, Strength Training, Weight Lifting
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Image credit: dehwang
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.
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.
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Great article! There are a few things here that I will bring into my next workout. I coincidentally added overhead presses to my routine recently. Here’s a couple questions that I’ve had:
1) How is this a better strength/size builder than the seated overhead press? When seated, I can push more weight and focus more on isolating the shoulders/chest instead of having to worry about balancing my stance. I understand the value that this exercise adds as a core strength builder, but is it enough to offset the isolation that your shoulders/chest lose compared to doing it seated?
2) I’ve also started doing an exercise where I basically do a power clean and then overhead press. It started as an upright row/press combo but it evolved into a power clean/press as the weight got heavier. Is this safe for my shoulder joints?
Thanks Earl. Your questions
1) The goal of a strength training program is to build strength. The more muscle worked, and the harder the exercise, the better. In respect to this, the Overhead Press is better than any exercise where you’re pressing from a seated/lying position.
If the point of your program is isolation (bodybuilding), seated is better. If the goal is overall strength, go for standing. You can also alternate between the two, the seated version gives your lower back some rest if needed. But as a general rule:t he harder the exercise the better.
2) Power cleans are perfectly safe if you do them correclty. I would avoid any upright row movement.
Just to clarify, the 2 chinese olympians pictured above are using a snatch grip, which probably shouldn’t be used for the press. A conventional, narrower grip would suffice.
Hey Mehdi,
I was just reading your article about the overhead press, and I have three questions for you.
At the beginning of the article you talk about athletes arching their backs to complete the overhead press. Is this improper form? Can it hurt you? I know that when I perform the overhead press I arch slightly. I am worried this will turn into a bigger issue at higher weights or with continuous lifting. Finally, do you know any relative weights an athlete should overhead press? For example, a male weighing 185 lbs should try to lift this much weight overhead press.
Respectfully,
Allen
The overhead press is a great excercise, but I always get neck pain when I tried it a few years ago. I have started 5X5 with an empty bar this week, and I got neck pain again. What could be wrong? BTW, all the best, Medhi, with the changes in the site.
Does overhead pressing increase neck size? Because when I use dumbbells to overhead press, I can feel my neck under strain as well, and I don’t want to have a bigger neck…