The overhead press is perhaps the ultimate test of upper body strength. Even more than my beloved bench press, the overhead press removes leg drive and requires a tremendous blend of strength, mobility and coordination. Unfortunately, many people either perform the overhead press incorrectly or simply aren’t ready to do it safely.
But there’s good news: Dean Somerset and Tony Gentilcore just released their new resource, Complete Hip and Shoulder Blueprint, and you’ll save $60 if you buy it by Saturday at midnight. It’s got tons of insight that will get you overhead pressing effectively AND quickly. It’s a must-have for any lifter or coach. For more info (and a free 14-minute shoulder motion video excerpt from the product!), keep reading.
In the meantime, here’s a quick step-by-step guide to make sure your shoulders are ready to overhead press. Tony Gentilcore covers many of these topics at length in Complete Hip and Shoulder Blueprint as well.
Step 1: Check Your Shoulder Flexion
To press overhead, you need adequate shoulder flexion (i.e. you gotta get your arms all the way overhead) without compensating at your lower back or neck. If you can’t get your arms up high enough, you’ll make up for it by over-arching your lower, wrenching your neck forward or both. Neither of these options are good for long-term shoulder health.
We typically don’t spend a lot of time overhead during our day-to-day activities. In fact, we spend so much time sitting at computers or staring at our phones that we lose the ability to reach overhead efficiently. Luckily, the Back to Wall Shoulder Flexion exercise serves as a test and a fantastic mobility drill for getting overhead.
If you can do this exercise without poking your head forward or letting your back leave the wall, you’re clear to overhead press.
Step 2: Check Your Scapular Upward Rotation
You need adequate upward rotation of your shoulder blades to get your arms overhead safely (think the left shoulder blade moving clockwise and the right shoulder blade moving counterclockwise). You see, the shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. The humerus (arm bone) represents the ball and the scapula (shoulder blade) represents the socket. If the ball and socket don’t move together very well, your shoulders may get cranky over time.
If the ball moves too far out of the socket (i.e. the humerus moves but the scapula doesn’t), you lose stability and strength. But if the scapula moves along with the humerus, the ball stays close to the socket, reducing the chance of pain or injury.
Simply learning to “reach” with the arms instead of just “lifting” the arms is a hugely important concept to get good scapular upward rotation. My favorite drill to work on upward rotation is the 1-Arm Serratus Wall Slide with Med Ball. Make sure to punch the elbow through the wall and try to touch your armpit to the ceiling.
Step 3: Choose the Right Exercise Progressions
Even if you’ve got steps 1 and 2 covered, jumping straight into overhead pressing might be overzealous. You’ll want to cover your bases and build your pressing strength in the following order:
Horizontal Presses with Free Scapular Motion
While bench press variations are the most popular horizontal pressing movements, you need exercises that allow the scapulae to retract and protract. Push-ups and cable presses work well here.
Landmine Presses with Upward Rotation
The Landmine Press is a perfect stepping stone to the overhead press because it’s not directly overhead, but has a subtle incline to ease into full shoulder flexion. Again, imagine punching up and out through the scapula as you press.
Overhead Presses with Upward Rotation
Before hitting up a barbell overhead press, which doesn’t move the scapulae very much, use an overhead pressing variation that lets you emphasize upward rotation. One-sided presses, such as the Half-Kneeling 1-Arm Kettlebell Press, let you move your wrists and scaps freely to work on pristine shoulder motion.
Finally… Let’s Overhead Press!
Once you’ve checked those boxes, you’ve likely built the necessary shoulder mobility and stability to overhead press without issue. It seems like a long road, but it’s worth it for a lifetime of shoulder health. You only get two shoulders, and if even one of them gets run down, it makes it tough to get as strong and jacked as possible.
And as mentioned, here’s a little preview of what you’ll get when you purchase Complete Hip and Shoulder Blueprint:
This incredible resource features:
- 11 hours of video content through digital download
- NSCA continuing education credits
- In-depth assessment and coaching strategies for the hips and shoulders, along with application to the squat, deadlift, pull-up and other common exercises
- 60-day money back guarantee
Again, this is a must-have resource for coaches, therapists and lifters alike. Make sure you grab your copy before the $60 off sale ends on Saturday. Click here for more information. I know I learned a ton from it and I’m sure you will too.
