All exercises
Overhead press
The standing barbell press. It builds strong shoulders and a stable trunk.
- Starting point
- Muscles worked
- Shoulders, Triceps, Upper back, Core
- Equipment
- Barbell, rack
How to do it
- 1
Take the bar from the rack at collarbone height, hands just outside your shoulders.
- 2
Stand with your feet hip width apart, glutes and stomach tight.
- 3
Move your head back slightly and press the bar straight up past your face.
- 4
Push your head through the window at the top so the bar is over your mid-foot.
- 5
Lower the bar back to your collarbones under control.
What to think about
- “Squeeze your glutes”
- “Bar travels in a straight line”
- “Head through at the top”
Common mistakes
- Leaning back into a standing bench press
- Pressing the bar forward around the face
- Soft, unbraced trunk