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I know some strength and conditioning coaches who don’t like to program high rep overhead pressing because it’s too fatiguing and takes away from other training outcomes. However, it may have its time and place depending on the person. So what is high rep overhead pressing? High rep overhead pressing is performing 12 or more …
Join the club if you’ve been getting lower back pain while performing overhead presses. This is an incredibly common (but not normal) issue that lifters face, so you’re certainly not alone. Thankfully, it can often be relatively straightforward to rectify, provided you have an otherwise non-complicated history of lower back discomfort. To avoid lower back …
The overhead press is notoriously thought to be a weak link for many lifters. This doesn’t mean you should feel discouraged by it, but you should try to understand why your overhead press is weak so you can figure out how to make it stronger. Why is your overhead press so weak? Your overhead press …
Doing both standing and seated shoulder presses is an excellent way to develop strength and hypertrophy in multiple muscle groups in your shoulders and upper body. But are standing shoulder presses or seated shoulder presses better? Standing shoulder presses are better for functional strength and for people who do CrossFit, powerlifting, weightlifting, or Strongman. Seated …
While raw strength often determines how much you can overhead press, the correct overhead press grip hand placement also makes a difference in the amount of weight you’re able to lift. So what is the ideal overhead press grip width? The ideal overhead press grip width is just outside your shoulders. You should be able …
When learning the overhead press, or trying to implement technical improvements, I aim to have lifters focus on 1-2 cues. These cues will focus the lifter on the important technical aspects of the lift, or their own weaknesses, to help them execute the movement more efficiently. This results in better technique and a stronger overhead …
The myth that lifting heavy weights, and more specifically overhead pressing, makes you shorter and stunts your growth has been floating around for years. So, does the overhead press make you shorter? The overhead press does not make you shorter or stunt your growth. However, it does compress your spine, which can shorten your height …
Just like having long arms puts you at a disadvantage for bench pressing, it also puts you at a disadvantage with overhead pressing. When you have long arms, you have to pay attention to your training strategy to get stronger. My top 7 tips for overhead pressing with long arms are: Strengthen your triceps. Strengthen …
If you’re able to get the bar off your shoulders during the overhead press, but fail once the bar clears your head, it’s a sign that you have a weak overhead press lockout. Training the overhead press lockout requires some adjustments to your routine, but it can be done, and you should start to see …
There are a couple reasons why someone might want to do the overhead press every day: The overhead press is an excellent exercise for strengthening your shoulders. So, if you have weak shoulders, the argument can be made that more pressing may be beneficial. A strong overhead press can carry over to a stronger bench …
