Barbell Push Press

How to do it

Setup

1. Set a barbell in a rack at approximately collarbone height.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with a full overhand grip.
3. Position the bar securely across your anterior deltoids and clavicles with elbows pointed forward and down.
4. Unrack the barbell and step back into a hip-width stance with a tall, upright torso.

Movement

1. Brace your core and initiate a shallow vertical dip by bending your knees forward while keeping your torso completely upright.
2. Explosively reverse the dip by driving aggressively through your midfoot and extending your hips and knees.
3. Use the upward momentum from your legs to propel the barbell off your shoulders, tilting your head slightly back to clear the chin.
4. Press the bar overhead to full lockout as your arms finish the movement, pushing your head forward into a neutral position once the bar clears.
5. Lower the bar under control back to the front rack position by absorbing the impact with a slight knee bend before beginning the next repetition.

Breathing

Inhale deeply and brace your abdominals before initiating the dip, hold your breath through the drive, and exhale as the bar reaches lockout overhead.

Cues

• Dip straight down like an elevator.
• Explode through the floor.
• Punch the ceiling.

Common faults

Dipping forward by hinging at the hips instead of bending the knees.

Keep your torso perfectly vertical during the dip so momentum transfers straight upward.

Pressing early with the arms before the leg drive finishes.

Wait until your hips and knees reach full extension before pressing actively with the upper body.

Re-bending the knees to catch the bar under lockout.

Finish the lift with straight knees; dipping under the bar turns the push press into a push jerk.

Safety

• Ensure clear overhead clearance before lifting.
• Keep the lower back braced to prevent excessive lumbar hyperextension during the press.

Muscles

• Front deltoid prime mover
• Quadriceps prime mover
• Triceps brachii synergist
• Gluteus maximus synergist
• Side deltoid synergist
• Upper trapezius synergist
• Erector spinae stabilizer
• Rectus abdominis stabilizer

Joints

• Shoulder: Flexion, Abduction
• Elbow: Extension
• Hip: Flexion, Extension
• Knee: Flexion, Extension
• Ankle: Plantarflexion
• Shoulder blade: Upward rotation, Elevation
• Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement

Vertical push

Modality

Strength, Power, Olympic weightlifting

Mechanics

compound

Force

push

Laterality

bilateral

Kinetic chain

mixed

Level

intermediate

Equipment

Barbell

Record

Repetitions and Load

Load

external, total

Related

• variation of Barbell Overhead Press
• substitute for Dumbbell Push Press
• regression of Barbell Split Jerk
• regression of Barbell Thruster

Sources

• wger: Push OHP, by M9 (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

barbell-push-press.json