Overhead press

The press, overhead press or shoulder press is a weight training exercise, typically performed while standing, in which a weight is pressed straight upwards from the shoulders until the arms are locked out overhead.

Movement

The press is set up by taking a barbell and putting it on the anterior deltoids. This can be done by taking the barbell from a rack or by cleaning the weight from the floor (clean and press). Alternatively the movement can be performed with dumbbells, though they do not rest neatly on the deltoids. They do not have easily accessible high racks so the trainee needs to clean them or have a spotter assist them in getting them into the starting position.

The press involves moving a barbell or dumbbells from the shoulder and pushing it up above the head until the elbows are fully locked out. As the bar clears the head, the lifter leans forward slightly in order to keep balance. As the bar is lowered back to the shoulders and clears the head again, the lifter leans slightly back.

The press is a highly effective compound upper-body exercise. Performing it standing recruits many more muscle groups in order to maintain balance and support the lift, rather than performing it seated. Like the squat and deadlift, it can be thought of as a whole-body exercise, to some extent.

Variations

Other variations of the overhead press are:

• Arnold Press: beginning a press with forearms supinated, ending with forearms pronated.
• Behind-the-neck press: barbell on the trapezius vs. on the anterior deltoids
• Bradford Press: as you press, once the bar clears a few inches overhead it is slowly lowered behind the head then explosively reversed to the front and slowly lowered to the starting position. The 2 phases are commonly considered one repetition.
• Dumbbell press: using dumbbells.
• Military press: Heels together with strict form. It is called the "Military Press" because this movement used to be the general indicator or test of one's strength in the military.
• Olympic press (clean and press): lift used in Olympic Weightlifting, consists of a clean, then pressing with no lower body movement, such as in the Push press. Discontinued after 1972 Olympics due to inconsistent judging criteria (such as should the lifter be allowed to bend backwards slightly when pressing, should a leg drive be allowed).
• One-handed press: pressing with one arm at a time.
• Push press: using leg drive to press the barbell up
• Seated press : pressing while seated (commonly on a bench).

Strength standards

Men

All figures are in pounds (lbs.)

Body Weight	Un-trained	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
114	53	72	90	107	129
123	57	78	98	116	141
132	61	84	105	125	151
148	69	94	119	140	169
165	75	102	129	153	186
181	81	110	138	164	218
198	85	116	146	173	234
220	89	122	155	183	255
242	93	127	159	189	264
275	96	131	164	194	272
319	98	133	167	199	278
320+	100	136	171	203	284

Women

All figures are in pounds (lbs.)

Body Weight	Un-trained	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Elite
97	31	42	50	66	85
105	33	46	53	71	91
114	36	49	58	76	97
123	38	52	61	81	104
132	40	55	65	85	110
148	44	60	72	94	121
165	48	65	77	102	134
181	51	70	83	110	140
198	55	75	83	117	151
199+	58	79	93	123	159

See also

• Bench press
• Dip
• Press up

References

• Mark Rippetoe with Lon Kilgore, Starting Strength, The Aasgaard Company Publishers, 2005, ISBN 0-9768054-0-5