The overhead press shows up in a lot of workouts. But that doesn't mean you should be doing it. Why? Because it requires proper biomechanics or it could increase the risk of shoulder pain and injury, says Pete McCall, C.S.C.S., a certified personal trainer and author of Smarter Workouts.
If any shoulder dysfunction is present (as just mentioned), then overhead pressing is not the wise choice in exercise selection – until the underlying dysfunction and pain symptoms are completely resolved (if they can be). I have a simple rule about training. It's not rocket science, but it's often disregarded.
Disadvantages of the Smith Machine Shoulder Press
This could place unnecessary stress on your shoulders and elbows, increasing the risk of injury over time. Reduced Core Activation: Free weight exercises require significant core engagement to stabilize the body.
The reason it is not incorporated in powerlifting competition anymore is because athletes would bend WAY back and slip their body under the weight which was 1) Dangerous and 2) a far cry from how the eercise should actually be performed.
Absolutely not. Teenagers worldwide perform in Olympics with rigorous training. The right age to start weightlifting can be as early as 5-6 years, depending on mental maturity. Leading orthopaedic, medical, and sports bodies confirm there's no link between weight training and stunted height growth.
It was too ambiguous. Nobody could agree how much to allow an athlete to lean back. So, they decided to scrap overhead press from competitive weightlifting entirely, leaving only the clean & jerk and the snatch. Shortly after, powerlifting began as an offshoot of weightlifting.
Dumbbell presses can replace overhead presses as they are more versatile and easier to control. This is mostly done when there is pain while using an overhead press and in those with low grip or forearm strength.
A 225-pound overhead press is even more impressive. Even among the guys who have been lifting for over a decade, only 2% of them have ever pressed 225 pounds overhead.
The press isn't just for the shoulders and arms—the standing overhead press is also a great way to work the abdominals and hips, as well as helping to improve your leg strength. The overhead press may be the most effective exercise for developing bigger shoulders, upper back, and triceps.
The Arnold press has a slightly fuller range of movement in comparison to the standard overhead press – meaning more muscle mass to gain.
The mechanics of the exercise can be made extremely risky. Because of the unnatural movement of the shoulders in some variations and techniques, your rotator cuffs can be at risk of long-term and short-term damage. This is often the case with anything behind the neck or even seated variations.
Jutting your head forward past your shoulders is another way people tend to compensate during this exercise. This can lead to neck pain and forward head posture. What happens when you push your head forward this way is that you end up straining your neck each time you raise your arms.
The average Shoulder Press weight for a male lifter is 142 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Shoulder Press? Male beginners should aim to lift 66 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.
Having a weak overhead press can be the result of many things, such as poor mobility, instability of the shoulders, previous injury, or simply lack of strength.
Incorrect Technique:
Improper form during overhead presses is a primary culprit behind shoulder pain. Actions such as arching the back excessively, flaring the elbows out too much, or failing to stabilize the core can place undue stress on the shoulder joint and surrounding muscles.
What Percentage of Men Can Bench 225? A two-plate bench is relatively uncommon. Only 17% of men who completed my survey had ever benched 225 pounds, and only 1% had reached the next milestone of 315 pounds.
That's your one rep max (1RM) – the peak weight you can handle for a single lift, be it a squat, bench press, deadlift, or any other exercise.
What is the average overhead press? The average overhead press is 126 lb for men and 66 lb for women. This makes you an intermediate lifter and stronger than 50% of StrengthLog's users.
Kettlebell Press
The technique used with kettlebell presses forces you into external rotation, says Forzaglia—putting most of us in a better overall pressing position. And once good form is established, the kettlebell will allow you to move some heavy weight with the overhead press—just with much less risk for injury.
Full Grip.
This makes the Overhead Press safer. The bar can't slip out of your hands and drop on your head. It also makes you stronger because you can squeeze the bar harder. This engages your arms, shoulders, and chest muscles more.
If you lose overhead mobility because of bench pressing, strength increases may be negated by the reduced ability to get the bar into a fully locked out overhead position.
The positions don't effectively transfer. The deadlift doesn't transfer well to other movements, to other lifts, or to other sporting movements. One of the easiest ways to break down transfer of training is to see how one movement transfers to another movement.
Specific to the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation), arching is allowed. However, it made recent changes in 2023 to help curb the use of excessive arching and has sent some lifters back to the drawing board with their techniques.