What does overhead press focus on?

Author: Delfina Becker  |  Last update: Sunday, January 4, 2026

This overhead press movement makes it a great exercise to improve upper body strength, specifically targeting the shoulders and triceps. Developing strength within these muscle groups can transfer over to assist in other lifts, such as the bench press or Olympic lifts.

What does an overhead press mainly work?

The overhead press primarily targets the deltoids (shoulders), but it also engages the triceps, upper chest, and core. This makes it an effective compound exercise for building overall upper body mass.

What does overhead press target?

Yes, we said that the overhead press primarily targets three muscles, the front deltoids, the upper chest, and the triceps. However, depending on the type of overhead press that you do, you may also target your lower and upper back.

Is 135 lbs overhead press good?

In summary, while 135 lbs is a reasonable starting point for a novice lifter of the same weight, ensuring proper form and gradually increasing the weight as strength improves is essential for safe and effective training.

How rare is 225 OHP?

Even among the guys who have been lifting for over a decade, only 2% of them have ever pressed 225 pounds overhead. In the rest of the article, I'll break it down by year, giving you realistic rates of progress.

Is Overhead Press Good For Building Muscle?

Is 170 lb bench press good?

Men should aim to bench press their body weight as a starting point. Women should aim for half to three-quarters of their body weight. A man weighing 170 lbs should aim for a 170 lbs bench press. A reasonable goal for a woman weighing 140 lbs is a 70-105 lbs bench press.

Why is overhead press so hard?

The overhead press is commonly associated as a harder exercise to perform because you aren't pushing against a mass that doesn't move (as you would in a bench press for example), it requires using multiple muscles at one time where deficiencies can become more prominent, the primary muscles are relatively smaller ...

Does overhead press build big shoulders?

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.

Which exercise is best for working the whole body?

List of the best full-body exercises
  • Doing full-body exercises.
  • Pushups.
  • Squats.
  • Burpees.
  • Lunges.
  • Running and cycling.
  • Stair climbing.
  • Things to remember.

Does overhead press stunt growth?

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.

What is the best compound exercise?

Deadlifts are the king of compound exercises since you're forced to engage all the major muscle groups all over your body while performing your reps. Deadlifts are among the most effective exercises for improving muscle mass and strength.

Is overhead press better than push press?

In terms of pure strength, both exercises work if gaining muscle is your end goal. For purely shoulder strength, the overhead press gets the nod ahead of the push press. The conclusion is both exercises are great, but the push press is better to become a little bit fitter and can provide bigger gains.

How many overhead press should I do a day?

There's safety in numbers

For hypertrophy, this usually means 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps, using a heavier weight, while training for muscular endurance usually involves doing 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps, often using a lighter weight to help you complete all the reps with good form.

What exercise builds the biggest shoulders?

The Best Shoulder Exercises To Build Big Shoulders
  • Overhead Shoulder Press.
  • Upright Row.
  • Landmine Press.
  • Rear Delt Fly.
  • Lateral Raises.
  • Frontal Raises.
  • Face Pulls.
  • Shoulder External Rotation.

Are shoulders easy to grow?

To develop larger shoulders, you must perform a combination of exercises, vary the number of repetitions and sets, and allow your body to recover. However, shoulders can also be delicate when overworked, with the rotator cuff muscles being particularly problematic – so take care.

Is it impressive to overhead press your bodyweight?

An excellent benchmark (for all athletes) is to be able to overhead press bodyweight. Here are the classification standards we use when working with elite military… . 75% of bwt.

What are the cons of overhead press?

Shoulder impingement can certainly be worsened by overhead pressing movements, but in most cases is not caused by pressing overhead. Shoulder impingement is a common painful shoulder condition in which the subacromial space (area underneath the acromion) can become encroached that leads to pain.

Why can't I lift weights above my head?

Check if you have shoulder impingement

The main symptoms are: pain at the top and the outside of your shoulder – the pain may be worse at night while you're sleeping. shoulder pain that's worse when you lift your arm, especially when you lift it above your head.

Why am I so weak on overhead press?

Lack of shoulder mobility, which are generally caused by tight lats and triceps, poor shoulder joint range of motion, and/or poor thoracic mobility are all issues that need to be addressed prior to loading up heavy overhead presses.

How much can a gorilla bench press?

Fully grown silverbacks are in actually stronger than 20 adult humans combined. How strong is a Mountain Gorilla? – A Silverback gorilla can lift 4,000 lb (1,810 kg) on a bench press, while a well-trained man can only lift up to 885 lb.

How rare is a 225 bench?

Studies say only about 0.4% of the population can bench 225. So the answer is very rare.

Previous article
Is A protein Treatment good for your hair?
Next article
How much should a person be able to squat?