Overhead press

What it works

• Delts, especially the front and the middle
• Triceps, which finish the movement when you straighten your elbows
• Abs, glutes and back, which hold your body so it doesn't turn into an arch

How to do it

1. 1
   Take the bar off the rack

   At collarbone height, resting on your upper chest. Hands just outside your shoulders and elbows slightly in front of the bar, not flared out to the sides.

2. 2
   Set up

   Feet hip-width apart, glutes and abs squeezed. This is what stops your back from leaning back as the weight goes up.

3. 3
   Move your face out of the way

   Before you press, tuck your chin slightly and pull your head back just enough for the bar to travel in a straight line instead of going around your face. This detail changes the exercise more than any other.

4. 4
   Press up

   In a straight line. Once the bar passes your forehead, bring your head back under it, as if you were sticking your neck out through a window.

5. 5
   Finish with the bar over your shoulders

   Elbows straight, bar overhead but directly above your shoulders, not in front. Lower it under control back to your collarbones.

The mistakes you see most

• Arching your back. When the weight is too much, your body bends back to press from your chest. That stops being an overhead press and loads your lower back. Fix it by squeezing your glutes and taking weight off.
• Moving the bar around your face. If the bar draws an arc in front of you, your shoulder works in a bad position and you lose strength. Your head moves out of the way, not the bar.
• Elbows flared out to the sides. Elbows in front, not to the sides. Flared out, your shoulder sits in the position where it gets pinched the most.
• Using your legs without meaning to. Dipping and driving is a different exercise, and that's fine, but then it's a push press. If you want an overhead press, your legs stay out of it.

Variations

• With dumbbells. Each side works on its own and your wrists can rotate, so it usually suits sensitive shoulders better.
• Seated with back support. It takes away the work of holding your body and lets you press more weight. Careful, it also removes the natural brake: this is where backs arch the most.
• Push press. With a short drive from the legs. Useful for moving more weight and training the top part of the movement.
• With a kettlebell or landmine. The press goes a little more diagonally, which is a comfortable position for shoulders that complain when pressing straight up.

Frequently asked questions