Press (overhead)
Encyclopedia
The press, overhead press or shoulder press is a weight training
exercise in which a weight is pressed from the shoulders until it is locked out overhead. The lift is performed standing.
). Alternatively the movement can be performed with dumbbells, though they do not rest neatly on the deltoids. They do not have easily accessible high racks so the trainee needs to clean them or have a spotter assist them in getting them into the starting position (or do one-armed presses).
The press involves moving a barbell or dumbbells from the shoulder height and pushing it up above the head until the elbows are fully locked out. As the bar clears the head, the lifter leans forward slightly in order to keep balance. As the bar is lowered back to the shoulders and clears the head again, he leans slightly back.
The press is a highly effective compound upper-body exercise. Performing it standing recruits many more muscle groups in order to maintain balance and support the lift, rather than performing it seated. Like the squat
and dead lift, it can be thought of as a whole-body exercise, to some extent.
Other forms of pressing include:
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
exercise in which a weight is pressed from the shoulders until it is locked out overhead. The lift is performed standing.
Movement
The press is set up by taking a barbell and putting it on the anterior deltoids. This can be done by taking the barbell from a rack or by cleaning the weight from the floor (clean and pressClean and press
The clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique....
). Alternatively the movement can be performed with dumbbells, though they do not rest neatly on the deltoids. They do not have easily accessible high racks so the trainee needs to clean them or have a spotter assist them in getting them into the starting position (or do one-armed presses).
The press involves moving a barbell or dumbbells from the shoulder height and pushing it up above the head until the elbows are fully locked out. As the bar clears the head, the lifter leans forward slightly in order to keep balance. As the bar is lowered back to the shoulders and clears the head again, he leans slightly back.
The press is a highly effective compound upper-body exercise. Performing it standing recruits many more muscle groups in order to maintain balance and support the lift, rather than performing it seated. Like the squat
Squat
The word squat, squatter or squatting can refer to:* Squatting, living in an abandoned or unused building, sometimes for political purposes...
and dead lift, it can be thought of as a whole-body exercise, to some extent.
Variations
Other variations of the overhead press are:- Military pressMilitary pressThe military press is a variation of the overhead press weight training exercise using very strict form.The military press targets the deltoid muscles in the shoulders as well as the triceps...
: Heels together with strict form. It is called the "Military Press" because this movement used to be the general indicator or test of one's strength in the military. - Olympic press:also known as clean and pressClean and pressThe clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique....
, lift used in Olympic Weightlifting, consists of a clean, then pressing with no lower body movement, such as in the Push press. Discontinued after 1972 Olympics due to inconsistent judging criteria (such as should the lifter be allowed to bend backwards slightly when pressing, should a leg drive be allowed). - Push pressPush pressA push press is a weight training exercise for the anterior head of the deltoid .-Execution:The push press is practically the same as the military press; however, the movement is started by a 'push' from the legs. This begins the momentum of the movement, the weight is then slowly lowered back to...
: using leg drive - Behind-the-neck press: barbell in the neck vs. on the anterior deltoids
- Seated press pressing while seated (commonly on a bench)
- Dumbbell press: using dumbbells.
- One-handed press: pressing with one arm at a time
- Arnold Press: beginning a press with forearms supinated, ending with forearms pronated.
- Bradford Press: as you press, once the bar clears a few inches overhead it is slowly lowered behind the head then explosively reversed to the front and slowly lowered to the starting position. The 2 phases are commonly considered one repetition.
- Sots press: pressing from the bottom of a squat position
- Bent pressBent pressA bent press is a type of weight training exercise wherein a weight is brought from shoulder-level to overhead one-handed using the muscles of the back, legs, and arm. A very large amount of weight can be lifted this way, compared to other types of one-hand press...
: pressing the weight overhead while twisting the trunk.
Other forms of pressing include:
- Bench pressBench pressThe bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
- Incline press
- Decline press
- Press upPress upFor the 2004 single by Freestylers, see Push UpA push-up, or in British English a press-up, is a common calisthenics exercise performed in a prone position by raising and lowering the body using the arms...
- DipDip (exercise)The dip is an exercise used in strength training. Normal, shoulder-width dips primarily train the triceps, with major synergists being the anterior deltoid, the pectoralis muscles , and the rhomboid muscles of the back...