Vertical push

Overhead press

Standing vertical pressing. Builds shoulders and teaches you to hold a rigid torso with load overhead.

Overhead press — exercise illustration

Vertical push · Intermediate

Overhead press

Barbell · AI visualisation, illustrative only

Equipment
Barbell
Level
Intermediate
Primary muscles
Front and side deltoids, Triceps
Secondary muscles
Upper chest, Abdominals, Glutes
Working range
5–10 reps · RIR 2

Step by step

Movement diagram: Overhead press
A movement diagram, not a photograph. It shows the sequence of joint angles and the path of the load — body proportions are schematic. If you have reduced motion enabled, you will see both positions side by side.
  1. 1Bar at collarbone height, grip just outside the shoulders.
  2. 2Elbows slightly in front of the bar, wrists straight.
  3. 3Squeeze the glutes and brace the abs — they are what stop you arching your back.
  4. 4Tilt your head back slightly to clear the path and press the bar straight up.
  5. 5Once the bar passes your forehead, move your head through under it, returning to an upright posture.
  6. 6Finish with the weight over mid-foot, ears visible in front of your arms.

What makes the biggest difference

Common mistakes

Arching the lower back

That turns the press into a standing incline press with a heavy lumbar load. Squeeze the glutes and tuck the ribs.

The bar travels out in front of the face

The load drifts away from your centre of mass and the shoulders work at a disadvantage. Move your head, not the bar.

Using leg drive

That is a different lift (push press) and needs different loading. If your knees bend, drop the weight.

What to do instead

Limited shoulder mobility — the bar cannot travel vertically

Dumbbell overhead press

Dumbbells let you use a neutral grip, which needs less shoulder external rotation.

Lower back pain when standing

Seated press with back support

The backrest takes over stabilisation and unloads the lumbar spine.

Contraindications

  • Subacromial impingement or a rotator cuff tear — avoid overhead work until assessed.
  • Shoulder instability after a dislocation — the overhead position is the riskiest one.

This is not medical advice. If any of these apply to you, or the exercise causes pain, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist before returning to training.

Log your sets and watch the progression

You enter weight, reps and RIR — the app computes your estimated 1RM, plots the strength curve and suggests the next session’s load along with the reasoning.

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