Barbell Overhead Press

oec:barbell-overhead-press

A foundational compound exercise that presses a barbell vertically from the upper chest to full lockout overhead while standing.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Overhead Press, Strict Press, OHP, Standing Barbell Press, Standing Press, Military Press, Overhead Barbell Press

How to do it

Setup

Set a barbell in a rack at approximately mid-chest height.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with a full, pronated grip, resting it across the heel of your palms.
Step under the bar so it rests on the anterior deltoids and clavicles with elbows slightly in front of the bar.
Unrack the bar, take two steps back, and set feet hip-width apart with glutes, quads, and core squeezed tightly.

Movement

Pull your chin slightly backward to clear a vertical path for the bar.
Press the barbell vertically in a straight line, keeping your forearms vertical and core braced.
Once the bar clears the forehead, push your head and torso slightly forward underneath the bar.
Lock out your elbows with the bar centered directly over the midfoot, shrugging your shoulders slightly at the top.
Lower the bar under control along the same path, tucking the chin back until the bar returns to the upper chest.

Breathing

Inhale and brace your abdominal wall before pressing, hold your breath through the sticking point, and exhale at lockout or between reps in the rack position.

Cues

Squeeze glutes and brace your abs
Elbows slightly forward of the bar
Press straight up, not around your face
Push your head through the window at lockout

Common faults

Excessive lumbar hyperextension, turning the lift into a standing incline bench press.: Squeeze the glutes hard and brace the abdominal wall to maintain a neutral spine throughout the lift.
Pressing the bar forward around the face instead of pulling the chin back.: Tilt your head back slightly by pulling your chin into your neck, keeping the bar path completely vertical.
Using leg drive to propel the bar upward.: Lock out the knees and keep the lower body rigid to ensure all force is generated strictly by the upper body.

Safety

If a repetition fails, safely lower the barbell back onto the anterior shoulders and collarbones under control rather than dropping it overhead.

Muscles

Front deltoid prime mover
Triceps brachii prime mover
Pectoralis major, clavicular head synergist
Side deltoid synergist
Upper trapezius synergist
Serratus anterior synergist
Rectus abdominis stabilizer
Gluteus maximus stabilizer
Erector spinae stabilizer

Joints

Shoulder: Flexion, Abduction
Elbow: Extension
Shoulder blade: Upward rotation, Elevation
Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement: Vertical push, Push
Modality: Strength, Hypertrophy
Mechanics: compound
Force: push
Laterality: bilateral
Kinetic chain: open
Level: intermediate
Equipment: Barbell; Squat rack or Power rack
Record: Repetitions and Load
Load: external, total

part of Barbell Clean and Press
progression of Dowel Overhead Press

Sources

wger: Overhead Press, by Vazco (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
wger: Overhead Barbell Press, by nishant0712 (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

barbell-overhead-press.json