The overhead press, shoulder press, or military press looks simple — but it’s surprisingly easy to lift with bad form, and many more people than you'd think end up on the physical therapy couch because of poor lifting mechanics.
To maximize the benefits of this weightlifting move, we recommend learning how to overhead press before bad habits set in. As a trainer, I have a few tips to help you supercharge the muscle and strength-building benefits of the overhead press and its many variations.
Scroll on to see if you're making these common mistakes below, and my top tips to fix your form fast.
How to overhead press (and why)
As a common compound exercise cropping up in functional training workouts and strength programs everywhere, the overhead press is one of the big five lifts that works the upper body to build strength (and muscle) in your triceps, shoulders, upper chest, upper back and core while developing explosive pushing power and overhead strength.
The move recruits the upper pectoral muscles, anterior deltoids (the fronts of the shoulders) and triceps, and it also strengthens your upper traps. When done correctly, you can expect to develop maximal strength when you work to failure.
Your core muscles engage throughout to stabilize your torso, and your shoulder stabilizers support this exercise, so they require proper activation and positioning; it’s a surprisingly technical foundational lift.
Here's what I see go wrong, and three quick fixes:
- Hunching as you lift: Commonly, people will start the lift with their shoulders by their ears, meaning the rotator cuff (shoulder stabilizer muscles) can't properly activate. Not only does this increase injury risk, but it means less stability, overfiring of the bigger, powerful muscles and under-firing of the muscles that keep the move safe, causing imbalances. Fix: Draw your shoulder blades back and down and slightly together to "set them in place" and keep your shoulders away from your ears while you perform reps.
- Arching your spine: Pushing your hips forward hyperextends the spine and puts more pressure on your lower back. It can also signal you might be lifting too heavy for your core to properly engage and support the lift. Fix: Learn to brace your core properly, imagining you're expecting someone to punch you in the gut; breathe toward your diaphragm, not your chest. Next, slightly tuck your pelvis under so that you don't stick your butt out or flare your ribcage.
- Rushing your reps: Evidence suggests eccentric loading and time under tension are great ways to build control, stability and muscle mass. In this case, the eccentric phase is the lowering of the weights. Fix: Focus on a three-four second tempo down, then press up for one second, rather than getting your reps out as quickly as possible.
Why does it matter?
In short, you're wasting your time if your form is badly off. And we're busy humans who don't like our time being wasted, right?
In short, you're wasting your time if your form is off. And we're busy humans who don't like our time being wasted, right?
Leaning back too far removes tension from your upper body and overloads your lower back. Keep your torso static — don't swing or use momentum to push the weight upward. Draw your ribcage down, engage your glutes, and slightly tuck the pelvis to keep everything locked in place.
Next, think about your shoulders; as I mentioned, draw them down and keep them there, even when you press. Our shoulders spend a lot of time protracted as we hunch over desks, slump into chairs, or sit for long periods, so retraction is key to developing healthy shoulder movement patterns while improving stability and posture. It’s also a great way to help safeguard your shoulders from injury.
Taking time during the eccentric contraction will prevent you from rushing and get the most from each rep. Pause and squeeze at the top and bottom of the movement to help maximize activation.
The rotator cuff muscles — a group of four muscles surrounding and supporting the scapulae — are crucial for shoulder stability. If you want to practice using them, I recommend adding scapula push-ups and scapula pull-ups into your warm-up routines.
If you have a shoulder-related injury, pre-existing health conditions or injuries, or you experience pain, speak with a qualified personal trainer or physician first.
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