How to Overhead Press | Build Upper Body Strength With This Compound Movement
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| The Overhead Press |
How to Perform the Overhead Press
- Overview
- The Muscles Involved in the Move
- How to Overhead Press (Strict Press)
Overview
Building
a strong conditioned and flexible upper body with broad shoulders is a must for a complete healthy
and good looking physique.
Everyone who is interested in fitness and bodybuilding is working their asses off to attain their goal of building a solid upper body.
Many exercises are out there to work different muscles of that part of the body; but what if you come to know that there’s a single exercise that works on almost all the dominating muscles there!
The overhead press is what you are looking for; it’s an ass kicker.
Everyone who is interested in fitness and bodybuilding is working their asses off to attain their goal of building a solid upper body.
Many exercises are out there to work different muscles of that part of the body; but what if you come to know that there’s a single exercise that works on almost all the dominating muscles there!
The overhead press is what you are looking for; it’s an ass kicker.
The overhead
press is often misunderstood and neglected because of the difficulty faced with
this exercise.
This difficulty, however, is just a direct result of approaching the move the wrong way.
Don't worry, I will elaborate on that in second.
The overhead press is a terrefic athletic compound movement which makes you some impressive gains faster than any isolated moves.
This difficulty, however, is just a direct result of approaching the move the wrong way.
Don't worry, I will elaborate on that in second.
The overhead press is a terrefic athletic compound movement which makes you some impressive gains faster than any isolated moves.
Now,
how people conceive it and perform it in wrong way that makes them avoid it in
their workouts?
With the idea that compound movements should be ‘heavy’, newbies often get discouraged when they attempt the overhead press with heavier loads knowing that they are not ready for that.
Understanding that ‘heavy’ doesn’t mean how many plates you should load on the bar as much as it is ‘how much weight you can perform very low rep range with.’
keeping good form’ is key to the successful progression with this exercise.
With the idea that compound movements should be ‘heavy’, newbies often get discouraged when they attempt the overhead press with heavier loads knowing that they are not ready for that.
Understanding that ‘heavy’ doesn’t mean how many plates you should load on the bar as much as it is ‘how much weight you can perform very low rep range with.’
keeping good form’ is key to the successful progression with this exercise.
The
overhead press is surely a heavy compound move; but for someone who has never
done it before, an empty bar should be defined as perfectly heavy for them to
start with.
The first step is to master the form and by time gain strength that will allow them to load up more weights on the bar.
The first step is to master the form and by time gain strength that will allow them to load up more weights on the bar.
The Muscles Involved In the Move
The overhead press hits all this heads of the shoulder making it
strong and jacked.
However, the shoulder is not the only muscle worked with this exercise; many other muscles kick in to stabilize the body and assist the move.
Core muscles (Abs and transverse abdominis), lower back, the muscles surrounding the shoulders (Traps and Rotator cuffs), the chest and triceps are all involved to press the weight up and keep a sturdy upper body.
If you perform the move standing, other muscle groups get recruited for adding more stability to the body; namely the glutes and hamstrings.
However, the shoulder is not the only muscle worked with this exercise; many other muscles kick in to stabilize the body and assist the move.
Core muscles (Abs and transverse abdominis), lower back, the muscles surrounding the shoulders (Traps and Rotator cuffs), the chest and triceps are all involved to press the weight up and keep a sturdy upper body.
If you perform the move standing, other muscle groups get recruited for adding more stability to the body; namely the glutes and hamstrings.
How to Overhead Press (Strict Press)
In a standing position, grab a barbell shoulder width apart.
Start by having the bar at upper chest level. Make sure you squeeze your butt and tighten your core before each and every rep.
Once you are all set up, press the bar up and over your head; once the bar passes your head, get your head forward.
At the top of the movement, the bar should be aligned with your head and hips.
Mind! Do not move the bar around your head; the bar must travel in a vertical line. Your head should get out of the way to let the bar go either up or down.
Choose a weight that you can do 6 to 8 reps with.
Start by having the bar at upper chest level. Make sure you squeeze your butt and tighten your core before each and every rep.
Once you are all set up, press the bar up and over your head; once the bar passes your head, get your head forward.
At the top of the movement, the bar should be aligned with your head and hips.
Mind! Do not move the bar around your head; the bar must travel in a vertical line. Your head should get out of the way to let the bar go either up or down.
Choose a weight that you can do 6 to 8 reps with.
The seated version is recommended for those attempting the
exercise for the first time.
You will basically make the same set up, except that you will be sitting on a bench to have more control over the weight.
If your upper body strength is not there yet, start with either an empty bar, light dumbbells or kettle bells.
Make sure you position your elbows in the same way you would do with the barbell; sure you will have more freedom in the movement, but do not allow your elbow to flare out.
You will basically make the same set up, except that you will be sitting on a bench to have more control over the weight.
If your upper body strength is not there yet, start with either an empty bar, light dumbbells or kettle bells.
Make sure you position your elbows in the same way you would do with the barbell; sure you will have more freedom in the movement, but do not allow your elbow to flare out.
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