Where Should Your Elbows Point During the Overhead Press?

Sep 25th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Exercise, Overhead Press, Strength Training, Weight Lifting

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One reader contacted me with the following question:

“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.

Overhead Press Elbow Position. Elbow position is different on the Overhead Press than on the Front Squat. You’re moving the weight with your upper-body so you need to involve your pressing muscles.

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.

Have someone look from the side when you’re doing the Overhead Press. Your elbows should be in front of your shoulders. Not parallel with the floor. Not perpendicular to the floor. 45° armpit angle.

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18 Responses to “Where Should Your Elbows Point During the Overhead Press?”

on 26 Sep 2007 at 5:18 am1Harsh

looks like I need to work on these….grip wider then clean grip should help I guess..
on 26 Sep 2007 at 7:33 am2Mehdi

Depends on your frame. Ken Patera is a big guy. I take the barbell much smaller than him on the picture.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:24 am3pens

arm/wrist flexibility is a problem for me with the overhead press
on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:51 am4Mehdi

I don’t really see how flexibility in the arm or wrist could be a problem. Give me more info pens. What problem do you have on the Overhead Press?
on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:01 pm5pens

when applying the bar on the anteriour schoulders (also explaind in strenght training book), if u lack flexibility it is harder bending the arms to let the weight rest on the shoulders.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:31 pm6Mehdi

You need to lift your chest up & put your shoulders back Pens. That will make it easier to get into proper position.

I really don’t see how flexibility could be an issue on the Overhead Press. I learned several people how to Overhead Press, never was arm/wrists flexibility an issue to get the bar on the anterior shoulders. My guess is you’re simply not putting the chest up, that’s why you don’t get the proper position.

Shoulder flexibility is often a problem on the Overhead Press. Many can’t push the weight above their head, but push it in front of their head. Shoulder dislocations always solve that.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 6:49 pm7Flying Fox

I’m confused. You say you need to lift the chest and put your shoulders back. But how can you possibly put the bar on top of your shoulders when they are back? Also, Mark Rippetoe teaches to get the shoulders forward.

Wich one is it?
on 26 Sep 2007 at 9:13 pm8Mehdi

Shoulder blades Flying Fox
on 26 Sep 2007 at 9:25 pm9Flying Fox

So I have to pull my shoulder blades back and push my shoulders to the front?
on 26 Sep 2007 at 9:39 pm10Mehdi

Lift your chest up & the shoulder blades will be down (not completely of course).

Check starting strength page 146 figure 13a: flat chest. Figure B big chest.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 10:40 pm11Flying Fox

I’m not talking about the chest, but the shoulders. Read page 144, point 2. He talks about “getting the shoulders forward”.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 10:40 pm12spesmilitis

“Your elbows should be in front of your shoulders. Not parallel with the floor. Not perpendicular to the floor. 45° armpit angle.”

Do you mean body instead of floor? To me, parallel to the floor means horizontal and perpendicular to the floor means verticle.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 10:46 pm13Mehdi

Flying Fox: like I wrote above, shoulder blades back, not shoulders.

Spesmilitis. 45° at the armpit. Your upperarm shouldn’t be parallel with the floor (that’s the position for the front squats). Upperarm should also not be perpendicular/vertical with the floor (inefficient). Parallel = horizontal, perpendicular = vertical indeed.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 10:52 pm14Flying Fox

So it is like I said before, shoulder blades back and shoulders front. How is that physically possible?
on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:07 pm15Mehdi

You’d be amazed how some end up doing exercises.
on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:11 pm16Flying Fox

Perhaps it would be useful to put it in terms of articulations.
When I think “shoulderblades back”, I think “scapula retraction”. When I think “shoulders front”, I think “scapula protraction”.

Unless you have 4 shoulders (and I know for a fact you don’t), how can you do both at the same time?
on 27 Sep 2007 at 8:06 am17Mehdi

So you mean your shoulder blades are protracted during an Overhead Press? Protracted => upper back rounds + chest sinks in. Upper back must stay tight.
on 27 Sep 2007 at 11:30 am18Flying Fox

Wel, rectracting my shoulder blades causes the shoulders to be pulled back. So if Rippetoe say’s shoulders front, I would expect it means shoulderblades protracted.

BTW, I was looking for your OH press video, but I can’t find it.

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