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Overhead PressThe overhead press is one of the best movements you can do for your anterior deltoids, triceps and a host of upper back muscles. It is also one of the most abused pressing movements, second only to the bench press. Here's how to perform it to obtain maximum results with maximum safety. Before doing any heavy overhead pressing, you'll want to ensure that your shoulders are warmed up. You can do any number of things to achieve this, such as L-Flys, light lateral raises, very light barbell or dumbbell presses, arm circles or wall pushups. Stand erect with your feet placed slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Take the barbell (if using a barbell) from the rack, squat stands or "clean" it to the shoulders. Your grip should be at least shoulder width or maybe 2-3 inches wider than shoulder width. Wider stresses the deltoids more but it also stresses your attachments. Narrower is less stressful to your joints and attachments but throws the work onto the triceps for more of the movement. You may use a thumb free grip if training lightly to moderately. For safety's sake, use a full grip when the going gets heavy. Before pressing, you want to achieve an over-all body tension. Brace your hips and suck your stomach in, trying to keep the entire body tight. Now inhale before beginning the press. Looking straight ahead, push the bar straight up, letting your elbows find their natural path. You will need to tuck your chin in tightly and also you will need to "lay back" slightly, to allow the bar to pass your face when pushing it straight up. Use the absolute minimum amount of lay back you can to allow the free passage of the bar. Press the bar up until your elbows lock or completely straighten. Exhale as is comfortable during the exertion. (Variations of the press exist. Sometimes, especially when bodybuilding, you stop just short of lockout to keep the tension on the muscles. For power building, it is common to do partial presses to various levels, i.e. eye level, forehead or top of head.) Lower the bar under control, to its original position at the shoulders. I prefer to lower it a little slower than I pressed it and stop its descent at chin level. From chin level, I repeat the press. (I do it this way because of shoulder injury issues.) This one exercise where you can get almost as much from the negative (eccentric) movement as the positive (concentric) movement. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions or until your form breaks - meaning you layback too much, extend unevenly or the press stops at any point before lockout. (Ideally, you should stop 1-2 reps BEFORE your form breaks.) Remember that this is a training movement...don't try a maximum single in this movement until you're well-conditioned and have a watchful, caring coach or spotter nearby. Wicked Willie
Last edited by Wicked Willie. Contributors: Laree, ccrow, Wicked Willie, and Wicked Willie |