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Steve · 07-30-07, 08:24 AM

The next exercise I’d like to discuss is the standing overhead barbell press.

Ideally you have access to a rack. If you are squatting with a barbell, you almost need a rack or cage, and the same should be used with the overhead press. It can even be set to the same height.

In terms of grip on the bar, you’ll take a pronated, closed grip just a tab wider than your shoulders.

Simply walk up to an unloaded, racked bar. Unrack the bar by lifting it out of the supports. Do this by placing the bar on your anterior deltoid (front shoulder) and lifting it with the help of your arms out of the supports.

Once unracked, rotate your elbows forward and up so they are in front of the bar when viewed from the side.

In terms of stance, do what you feel is comfortable. Far enough apart to maintain good balance. This isn’t really critical, as with the squat…. something like 12 inches will do. The main thing here is to keep your knees locked, or just outside of locked. Don’t use your legs to create momentum and force to drive the weight up. There is a very similar exercise known as the push press which is basically more of a power movement. It’s simply a standing overhead press coupled with a slight jump for leg drive. That is not this. All of your force should be coming from your arms and shoulders.

Before starting the movement, with shoulders and elbows already pointing forward, elevate the chest.

You are not ready to press the bar. The entire time you are executing this, you should be looking straight ahead. Many people make the mistake of pressing the bar slightly to the front of your forehead. I even catch myself making this mistake. It’s incorrect. You want to press so that the bar ends above the highest point of your skull which will correspond to being directly over your ears for the most part. At this stop position, your elbows should be completely locked. To complete the movement, while the bar is directly over your ears and your elbows are locked, give your traps a nice little upward shrug.

This is the completion of the concentric portion of the movement.

Bars moving in straight lines up and down is what we want, pretty much always. That nice little theory known as gravity can account for this fact. With the press, it starts on the front side of our shoulders and it needs to end above our ears.

To maintain this vertical-line thinking, at the start of the lift, lean back ever so slightly in order for the bar to go straight up past your face. Once your face is cleared, it’s time to get under the bar by leaning forward slightly. As simple as this exercise is, this is the part that’s very good to coach in person… especially for this visual learners. Realize that your torso isn’t moving any appreciable distances. Very slight lean back to let the bar clear, very slight shift forward to get under the bar. That’s it.

Remember to keep you chest nice and high and your back tight. This is a critical component of the lift that many novice trainees forget as they place their entire focus on pressing the weight upward. This brings us back to the point I’m sure you’re getting sick of me mutter: Start with easy weights and focus all of your attention on form until the movement patterns are so ingrained in your brain (literally) that no thought is required for proper execution.

NOTE: Don’t turn this into an incline bench press. You’ll see many trainees use a weight that is too heavy for proper execution. They get the weight up however possible and this normally translates into excessive arching of the lower back. This simply brings more chest into the exercise… which is a much larger/stronger muscle than the shoulders. It’s what our minds telling us to logically do. Fight this urge. Remember, this is mostly a shoulder exercise. Try and stay as vertical as possible.

Once locked out at the top with chest high and traps shrugged, weight directly over ears… it’s time to lower the bar. Simply reverse the order and bring the bar down in a controlled manner to the starting position for the start of the next rep.

I don't think I have any quality videos of this. If anyone else does, please feel free to PM them to me so I can put them in this post.

Here's a vid of what NOT to do. It's hard to see from this angle, but I'd be willing to bet he's not getting the bar back far enough overhead at the top of his press. His grip is much too wide for my liking. He's cutting the lift short by not locking out his arms and shrugging his traps.

YouTube - BodybuildingPro.com - Standing military press.

Here's the popular exrx site's vid of a seated press. I much prefer standing though.

Barbell Shoulder Press

Here's exrx site's standing press, which isn't bad.

Barbell Military Press

Here's a decent one. It's hard to tell from the vid, but it would appear as if he's not getting under the bar enough for my liking.

http://www.uwlax.edu/strengthcenter/...er%20Press.mpg

Oh yea, here's a good one:

Military Press

07-30-07, 08:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
Steve Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 228	Overhead Press The next exercise I’d like to discuss is the standing overhead barbell press. Ideally you have access to a rack. If you are squatting with a barbell, you almost need a rack or cage, and the same should be used with the overhead press. It can even be set to the same height. In terms of grip on the bar, you’ll take a pronated, closed grip just a tab wider than your shoulders. Simply walk up to an unloaded, racked bar. Unrack the bar by lifting it out of the supports. Do this by placing the bar on your anterior deltoid (front shoulder) and lifting it with the help of your arms out of the supports. Once unracked, rotate your elbows forward and up so they are in front of the bar when viewed from the side. In terms of stance, do what you feel is comfortable. Far enough apart to maintain good balance. This isn’t really critical, as with the squat…. something like 12 inches will do. The main thing here is to keep your knees locked, or just outside of locked. Don’t use your legs to create momentum and force to drive the weight up. There is a very similar exercise known as the push press which is basically more of a power movement. It’s simply a standing overhead press coupled with a slight jump for leg drive. That is not this. All of your force should be coming from your arms and shoulders. Before starting the movement, with shoulders and elbows already pointing forward, elevate the chest. You are not ready to press the bar. The entire time you are executing this, you should be looking straight ahead. Many people make the mistake of pressing the bar slightly to the front of your forehead. I even catch myself making this mistake. It’s incorrect. You want to press so that the bar ends above the highest point of your skull which will correspond to being directly over your ears for the most part. At this stop position, your elbows should be completely locked. To complete the movement, while the bar is directly over your ears and your elbows are locked, give your traps a nice little upward shrug. This is the completion of the concentric portion of the movement. Bars moving in straight lines up and down is what we want, pretty much always. That nice little theory known as gravity can account for this fact. With the press, it starts on the front side of our shoulders and it needs to end above our ears. To maintain this vertical-line thinking, at the start of the lift, lean back ever so slightly in order for the bar to go straight up past your face. Once your face is cleared, it’s time to get under the bar by leaning forward slightly. As simple as this exercise is, this is the part that’s very good to coach in person… especially for this visual learners. Realize that your torso isn’t moving any appreciable distances. Very slight lean back to let the bar clear, very slight shift forward to get under the bar. That’s it. Remember to keep you chest nice and high and your back tight. This is a critical component of the lift that many novice trainees forget as they place their entire focus on pressing the weight upward. This brings us back to the point I’m sure you’re getting sick of me mutter: Start with easy weights and focus all of your attention on form until the movement patterns are so ingrained in your brain (literally) that no thought is required for proper execution. NOTE: Don’t turn this into an incline bench press. You’ll see many trainees use a weight that is too heavy for proper execution. They get the weight up however possible and this normally translates into excessive arching of the lower back. This simply brings more chest into the exercise… which is a much larger/stronger muscle than the shoulders. It’s what our minds telling us to logically do. Fight this urge. Remember, this is mostly a shoulder exercise. Try and stay as vertical as possible. Once locked out at the top with chest high and traps shrugged, weight directly over ears… it’s time to lower the bar. Simply reverse the order and bring the bar down in a controlled manner to the starting position for the start of the next rep. I don't think I have any quality videos of this. If anyone else does, please feel free to PM them to me so I can put them in this post. Here's a vid of what NOT to do. It's hard to see from this angle, but I'd be willing to bet he's not getting the bar back far enough overhead at the top of his press. His grip is much too wide for my liking. He's cutting the lift short by not locking out his arms and shrugging his traps. YouTube - BodybuildingPro.com - Standing military press. Here's the popular exrx site's vid of a seated press. I much prefer standing though. Barbell Shoulder Press Here's exrx site's standing press, which isn't bad. Barbell Military Press Here's a decent one. It's hard to tell from the vid, but it would appear as if he's not getting under the bar enough for my liking. http://www.uwlax.edu/strengthcenter/...er%20Press.mpg Oh yea, here's a good one: Military Press