Overhead press exercise: Muscle worked, Health Benefits, How to Do?

Overhead press exercise is an important exercise to strengthen your upper body mainly Deltoids, Trapezius and Chest muscles. It also helps to strengthen your core muscles of Back. You can do at Home with the use of a barbell or a pair of dumbbells.

What is an overhead press?

This is an upper-body weight training exercise in this you have to press a weight overhead while in standing or seating. The overhead press is either done by a barbell or a pair of dumbbells and putting it in a racking position.
Whether you are working on a weight lifting workout or just want to get back mobility, it is important to keep the muscles in your upper body conditioning.
These overhead press muscles help you to do everyday tasks, like putting dishes up high in a cabinet or placing items overhead on a shelf. This is also known as a shoulder press.

Which muscles are used for overhead press?

• Pectorals (chest)
• Deltoids (shoulders)
• Triceps (arms)
• Trapezius (upper back)

Because being upright requires balance, you also need the muscles of your core, including your abdominals and lower back.

Health Benefits of the overhead press exercise.

• Helps to strengthen and increase the size of shoulder muscles
• Helps to strengthen and increase the size of triceps muscles
• Helps to strengthen and increase the size of the trapezius muscle
• Helps to strengthen the core muscle( your abs muscles such as internal and external obliques, transverse abdominal muscles, lower back, and spinal stabilizers, when doing the exercise in standing)

How to perform an overhead press in perfect form?

• For this exercise, you have to stand upright and have your core muscles engaged, looking straight ahead. Hold the barbel up to the upper chest, grip it with both hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Press the barbel directly overhead. Do not tilt from hips forward during the movement.
• Now move the barbell upward above the head. hold for a couple of seconds then slowly lower it down.
• Do 8 to 10 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets with moderate weight.
• In this exercise resistance is just pushing above the head.
• You can do this exercise with different varieties.
• Move both hands simultaneously
• One hand at one time
• A single barbell grabbed by both hands.

There have different variations of overhead press exercises.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

How to do it?

• This exercise is a good overhead press variation to try on an upper-body workout. It is especially helpful to the person who has muscle imbalances.
• Grab two dumbbells instead of one barbell more help you to strengthen your weaker side and avoid letting the strong one arm and one weaker.

• When doing a dumbbell shoulder press, hold the dumbbell at your shoulder level. Your elbows should be flexed up to 90-degree angles with your palms facing forward side.
• Once you take the proper position then take a deep breath in, and as you breathe out extend your elbows and push the weight overhead, your core muscles should be engaged and avoid forward bending from the back.
• Do not use the lower limb. your hip and knee should be locked. push weight until it is a few inches apart from each other. breath in and lower the weight back to the initial position.
• Do 10 to 12 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets with moderate weight.

Seated Barbell Overhead Press

How to do it?

• This variation helps to isolate the shoulder and upper back muscles. this will take the legs out of the equation and require you to rely on your upper limb strength to push the weight upward.

• If you do not have a designated area for the seated barbell overhead press, then set up a bench in a squat or power rack.
• Adjust the bench so you can sit up straight with supported back supported.
• You have to sit with feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. The toes and knees should point outward direction slightly.
• When you take a perfect t starting position then push the heels into the ground and press the upper back against the bench, hold the barbel with both hands a little wider than the shoulder and the wrist and elbows are in the same line.
• Inhale and engage your core muscles as you unrack the barbel and lower down up to chest level.
• Push the barbell overhead like a basic overhead press.at top movement lock both elbows and shoulder shrug up towards the ceilings.
• Breath out when you lower the barbell down. If a barbell seated variation is too tough for you then you can do this same movement with dumbbells.
• Do 8 to 10 repetitions of 3 to 4 sets with moderate weight.

Single-Arm Kettlebell Overhead Press

How to do it?

• If you do not have access to a barbell or dumbbells, a single-arm kettlebell overhead press can be a good alternative.

• The single-arm kettlebell overhead press is similar to a dumbbell overhead press, This will help you to address potential weaknesses. Because you have to use your core to stabilize and remain balanced as you raise one arm overhead, it also can help you to increase your core strength better than a traditional overhead press.

• For doing a kettlebell overhead press, start with the kettlebell in a front-racked position. You should hold a kettlebell close to your chest with the palm facing inward, and the elbow should be close to the side of your body with the wrist straight.
• Inhale and bring your nonworking hand out to the side to help you keep your both shoulders even. breath out and press the kettlebell up overhead by rotating the hand so the palm faces the forward side. your core and glute muscles should be contracted.
• Do not arch your back. your elbow should be locked at the top movement. breath in when you lower the kettlebell back to the initial position.
• Do 10 to 15 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets with moderate weight.

Single-Arm Landmine Press

How to do it?

• It is a good intermediate exercise for those persons who have shoulder flexibility issues. The landmine bar follows an angled path, rather than a straight up-and-down motion. so it can be easier on the shoulder muscles.

• For this exercise start in a split stance. your leg opposite to your working hand. it should be in the forward position. grab the end of the bar close to your chest with the elbow flexed. inhale then exhale press the bar upward and away from the body.
• The bar should be in line with your shoulder joint. look over your arm at the top moves. breath in and lower down the bar back to the initial position.
• Do 10 to 20 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets with moderate weight.

Barbell Push Press

How to do it?

• For this exercise, you have to take a position like a basic overhead press.you have to Stand with the barbell resting on your front shoulders and take a big breath in
• Flexed your knees and drop into shallow squatting with your body weight on the center side under the barbell
• Put through your heels and use your lower limb strength to help you drive the barbell overhead
• Don’t take a rest in between the squatting and the overhead press.
• Lock your hands at the top of the exercise while shrugging your shoulder joint toward the ceiling. slowly lower the barbell back to your chest, then exhale and go for the next repetitions.
• Do 8 to 10 repetitions of 3 to 5 sets with moderate weight.

Common mistakes happen while performing the overhead press exercise, you should avoid these mistakes to get more benefits from this exercise.

Incorrect Grip Width

Your hand should be in the ideal position to perform an overhead press. the handgrip is more important to stay locked in throughout the press.

Wrists Are Too Bent

When holding the barbell, you have to ensure a firm grip on the barbell. Squeezing the barbell activates the biceps, back, and forearm muscles. make sure the wrist should be stacked to give force for lifting a barbell.

Elbows Flaring Out

Flaring of elbows suggests lack of back extension and can impact overhead press, and increase joint stress.

Too Much Lower Back Arching

Hyper extension in the lumbar spine is rarely a good thing. excessive hyper extension leads to injury.

Pressing the Bar Forwards

Moving a barbell forward is the big mistake.

When did you not do this exercise?

• If you are already suffering from pain.
• If you are recently injured.
• If you are recently undergone any surgery.
• If your doctor advised you to take a rest.
• If you feel any pain or discomfort during this exercise then stop immediately and consult your physical therapist.