- EquipmentBarbell
- PatternPush
- Reps3 to 10 reps
- Joint loadShoulder, Wrist and Lower back
How to do the Overhead Press
Set up. Stand with the bar on the front of your shoulders, hands just outside shoulder width and feet about hip width apart. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach.
- Press the bar straight up, moving your head back slightly to let it pass.
- Bring your head through once the bar passes your forehead.
- Lock out with the bar over the middle of your feet.
- Lower under control to the front of your shoulders.
Form cues
- Keep the ribs down and the glutes tight.
- Press in a straight line.
- Keep your wrists over your elbows.
Common mistakes
- Leaning far back to push the bar up.
- Pressing the bar out in front of the face.
Muscles worked
Main target: Front delts. The front head of the deltoid caps the front of the shoulder. It raises the arm forward and helps in every press, which is why it is often trained more than its two neighbours.
On the way: Side delts, Triceps and Abs.
Its other side: Upper back, Lats and Rear delts, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Rear delts, in the front and rear shoulder pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Overhead Press, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Face Pull Superset partner: it trains the other side of the front and rear shoulder pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Barbell Bench Press Same push session: it trains the chest.
- Barbell Shrug Often left out: it trains the traps, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Overhead Press first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Overhead Press 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Face Pull 3 × 12 to 20 reps
- Barbell Bench Press 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Barbell Shrug 3 × 8 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Machine Shoulder Press
Machine
Less load on the lower back
Landmine Press
From the app's workaround table: less load through a bending spine.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Machine Shoulder Press, Landmine Press, Push Press, Seated Overhead Press, Z-Press and Smith Machine Overhead Press.
Do before it: Shoulder Dislocate (shoulder range), Wall Slide (shoulder blades) and Thoracic Rotation (upper back range).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Overhead Press is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Overhead Press?
Set up: Stand with the bar on the front of your shoulders, hands just outside shoulder width and feet about hip width apart. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach. Steps: 1. Press the bar straight up, moving your head back slightly to let it pass. 2. Bring your head through once the bar passes your forehead. 3. Lock out with the bar over the middle of your feet. 4. Lower under control to the front of your shoulders. Form cues: Keep the ribs down and the glutes tight. Press in a straight line. Keep your wrists over your elbows. Common mistakes: Leaning far back to push the bar up. Pressing the bar out in front of the face.
What muscles does the Overhead Press work?
It trains the front delts as its main target and works the side delts, triceps and abs on the way.
What can I do instead of the Overhead Press?
At home: Dumbbell Shoulder Press. In a gym: Machine Shoulder Press. With less load on the lower back: Landmine Press. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Overhead Press with?
Good partners in the same workout are Face Pull, Barbell Bench Press and Barbell Shrug.
How heavy should the Overhead Press be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.