Vertical push exercise
Strict Overhead Press
Build overhead strength and shoulder stability for lineout lifting.
- Equipment
- Barbell, rack, plates
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
- Tempo
- 30X0
Setup
Barbell at shoulder height in a rack, feet hip-width, ribs down and glutes tight.
How to do it
- Brace with your ribs down and glutes squeezed so you cannot arch your lower back.
- Press the bar in a straight line by moving your head back out of the way, then pushing your head through once the bar passes it, finishing with the bar over your mid-foot.
- Do 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps.
- If you have to lean back to complete a rep, the load is too heavy.
Coaching cues
- Ribs down, glutes tight
- Head back, then head through
- Finish with the bar over the mid-foot
Common mistakes
- Looping the bar around the head instead of moving the head
- Hyperextending the lower back to get the load up
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 75 to 90% of 1RM | 3 to 5 | 3 to 6 | 3 min |
| Size | 65 to 80% of 1RM | 3 to 4 | 6 to 10 | 2 min |
Tempo 30X0: Take 3 seconds to lower it, no pause, lift it as fast as you can, no pause before the next rep.
Related exercises
- Push PressExpress overhead power using the legs, in the pattern closest to a lineout lift.
- Landmine PressGet an overhead pressing stimulus for players who cannot press safely overhead.
- DipsBuild pressing and triceps strength for the fend.
- Bench PressBuild maximal upper-body pressing strength.
- Incline Bench PressBuild pressing strength and shoulder-girdle mass at an upward angle.
- Dumbbell Bench PressBuild pressing strength with more range and less shoulder stress than a barbell.