Know Your Lifts: Overhead Press

Start

Grip the bar so that forearms are vertical.
Look forward; head neutral.
Bar gripped in the base of the palms, directly over the forearms.
Chest up and expanded.
Feet hip-shoulders-width apart.
Bar about clavicle level.
Hands donâ€™t touch shoulders.
Wrists in-line with forearms.
Elbows in front of the barbell.
Squeeze glutes to avoid arching your back.
Weight heavy in heels.

Lift

Press the bar straight up.
Tuck chin back and press bar straight up and overhead to full extension; return head to neutral and bring torso forward once bar clears the face.
Lock elbows out.
Squeeze shoulder blades while extending arms overhead until full extension is reached.
Keep upper back, glutes, and abs tight.
Straight line going from the bar, down through your shoulder blades, and through middle of feet.
Drive through heels while pressing.

â€œKnow Your Liftsâ€ is an illustrated guide series that shows how to perform basic weight lifting exercises. Check out our previous guides on the High-Bar Back Squat and the Deadlift. On the docket today is another essential and beastly lift: the Overhead Press. The overhead press (or shoulder press, or strict press, or just “press”) is superior to the bench press in that it works the whole body and is a much more functional exercise (most of the time when you’re lifting things you’re on your feet, not lying on you back). It’s also feels pretty manly to hoist a heavy barbell above your head.

Thanks to Barry Schroeder and Jim Schoenberg of CrossFit Sandstorm for consulting on this post.

Know Your Lifts Series:
High-Bar Back Squat
Deadlift
Overhead Press

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Illustration by Ted Slampyak