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Shoulders

Push Press

The Push Press is a strength exercise with a barbell for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 28%, side delts 14% and triceps (lateral head) 9%.

Also known as: barbell push press

Level: AdvancedEquipment: BarbellMulti-joint (compound)
Push Press demonstration

How to do it

  1. Unrack a barbell onto the front of your shoulders with a grip just outside shoulder-width.
  2. Stand with feet hip-width, elbows slightly in front of the bar, and brace your core.
  3. Dip by bending the knees a few centimetres, keeping the torso upright and heels down.
  4. Drive up hard through the legs and press the bar overhead to straight arms, pushing the head through.
  5. Lower the bar back to the shoulders, bending the knees slightly to absorb it.

Tips

  • Dip and drive in one quick motion, without a pause at the bottom.
  • Keep the bar over the middle of the feet the whole time.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the knees shoot forward and the chest drop in the dip.
  • Pressing before the legs have finished driving.
  • Letting the bar crash onto the collarbones.

Muscles worked by the Push Press

  • Front delts Primary28%
  • Side delts Secondary14%
  • Triceps (lateral head) Secondary9%
  • Triceps (long head) Secondary7%
  • Upper traps Minor6%
  • Triceps (medial head) Secondary5%
  • Serratus anterior Minor5%
  • Upper chest Minor4%
  • Gluteus maximus Minor4%
  • Quads (vastus lateralis) Minor4%
  • Quads (vastus medialis) Minor4%
  • Spinal erectors (lower back) Stabilizer3%
  • Rotator cuff Stabilizer3%
  • Upper abs Stabilizer2%
  • Rear delts Stabilizer2%

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.

A dip and drive from the legs starts the bar. 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.

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Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Push Press work?

Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.

Is the Push Press good for beginners?

The Push Press is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Kettlebell Push Press first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Push Press?

For example the Dumbbell Push Press, Kettlebell Push Press and Band Shoulder Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

Sources

  • Saeterbakken and Fimland 2013, JSCR 27(7):1824-1831 (standing, seated, barbell, dumbbell)

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