Shoulders
Overhead Press
The Overhead Press is a strength exercise with a barbell for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 32%, side delts 16% and triceps (lateral head) 10%.
Also known as: barbell ohp, military press, ohp, schouderdrukken, schouderpers, standing barbell overhead press
How to do it
- Set a barbell in a rack at upper chest height and grip it just outside shoulder-width.
- Unrack it onto the front of your shoulders and step back with feet hip-width.
- Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs and tuck the chin slightly.
- Press the bar straight up past your face, then push your head through so the bar ends over the middle of the feet.
- Lower the bar under control back to the front of your shoulders.
Tips
- Keep the forearms vertical and the elbows slightly in front of the bar at the start.
- Take a big breath and hold your brace for each rep.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back into a standing incline press.
- Pressing the bar forward around the head instead of moving the head out of the way.
- Letting the wrists fold back under the bar.
Muscles worked by the Overhead Press
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Pressing overhead is shoulder flexion and abduction with elbow extension: the front delt leads, the lateral delt and triceps assist, and the upper traps and serratus rotate the shoulder blade up.
Overhead Press alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
- Band Shoulder Press
- Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
- Plate Loaded Shoulder Press
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Overhead Press work?
Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.
Is the Overhead Press good for beginners?
The Overhead Press is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Band Shoulder Press first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Overhead Press?
For example the Band Shoulder Press, Arnold Press and Barbell Z Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Overhead Press harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Barbell Z Press and Z Press.
Sources
- Saeterbakken and Fimland 2013, JSCR 27(7):1824-1831 (standing, seated, barbell, dumbbell)
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