How To Overhead Press For Bigger Shoulders (5 Mistakes You're Probably Making)
Summary
TLDRThis instructional video focuses on the overhead press, a crucial exercise for developing powerful shoulders. It identifies five common mistakes that hinder shoulder growth and increase injury risk, such as flaring elbows, improper barbell path, excessive lower back arching, and wrist bending. The video offers solutions like gripping the bar correctly, maintaining a neutral spine, and improving mobility in the lats and thoracic spine. It also distinguishes between the overhead press and the push press, emphasizing the importance of proper form for maximum benefits. For a comprehensive program, viewers are directed to 'built with science' courses.
Takeaways
- 💪 The overhead press is essential for developing rounded shoulders and should be a staple in any upper body workout routine.
- 🚫 Avoid flaring the elbows out during the overhead press; grip the bar with your thumbs just outside your shoulders to keep the forearms aligned under your hands.
- 💡 Initiate the press in the scapular plane with elbows slightly forward and allow them to naturally turn out as you press up, then return to the plane on descent.
- 📏 Keep the barbell path as short and vertical as possible to maximize efficiency and prevent unnecessary strain on the body.
- 🔄 Slightly lean back, stick your chest out, and pull your chin back to create space for the barbell to travel straight up during the press.
- 🚶♂️ Avoid excessively arching the lower back; maintain a neutral spine and engage glutes, quads, and abdominals for stability.
- 🌐 Address mobility restrictions, particularly in the lats and thoracic spine, to prevent compensation and improve the overhead press.
- 🤲 Use the Bulldog grip to maintain a neutral wrist position and prevent strain while pressing overhead.
- 🏋️♂️ Keep the body as a stable pillar during the press and avoid incorporating leg movement, which shifts the focus from the shoulders to a different movement like the push press.
- 📚 For a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to workouts, consider programs from 'built with science' that provide in-depth tutorials for each exercise.
- 👀 Follow the creator on Instagram for more exercise form videos and subscribe to the channel for updates on future content.
Q & A
What is considered one of the key features for a powerful-looking upper body?
-Well-developed rounded shoulders are considered one of the key features for a powerful-looking upper body.
Why should the overhead press be included in a workout routine?
-The overhead press should be included in a workout routine because it effectively targets the shoulders and other upper body muscles, and allows for easy weight overloading compared to other shoulder movements.
What is a common mistake made during the overhead press that can lead to injury?
-A common mistake is flaring the elbows out during the movement, which can be caused by gripping the bar too wide and misaligning the forearms with the hands.
How should the grip be positioned during the overhead press to avoid injury?
-The grip should be positioned such that the thumbs are just outside of the shoulders, allowing the forearms to be directly under the hands, leading to a stronger and safer press.
What is the recommended initial position for the elbows during the bottom of the overhead press?
-At the bottom position, the elbows should be pointed slightly forward, at roughly a 30-degree angle from directly sideways, before allowing them to turn out as you press up.
How can the barbell path be optimized during the overhead press to maximize efficiency?
-The barbell path should travel in almost a vertical line from start to finish, avoiding a curved path around the head, by creating space for the bar by slightly leaning back and sticking the chest up and out.
What is a significant mistake often made that can lead to acute back injuries and reduced overhead force?
-Excessively arching the lower back is a significant mistake that can lead to acute back injuries and reduced overhead force.
What can be done to maintain a neutral lower back during the overhead press?
-To maintain a neutral lower back, one should actively squeeze the glutes, quads, and abdominals before and during the press, and ensure sufficient mobility in areas like the lats and thoracic spine.
How can thoracic extension or upper back mobility be improved to prevent lower back arching during the overhead press?
-Thoracic extension can be improved by foam rolling the mid-back and extending the upper back over the foam roller while avoiding excessive lower back arching.
What is the recommended wrist position during the overhead press to prevent strain and maintain strength?
-The wrists should be kept in a neutral position and in line with the forearms, using a grip like the Bulldog grip, which secures the bar across the base of the palm and rotates the hands inward for a better grip.
Why should incorporating leg movement during the overhead press be avoided?
-Incorporating leg movement during the overhead press should be avoided as it shifts the focus to a different movement called the push press, which involves more of the lower body and less of the shoulders, and should not be used as compensation for lifting more weight in strict overhead pressing sets.
Where can viewers find evidence-based programs and in-depth tutorials for exercises like the overhead press?
-Viewers can find evidence-based programs and in-depth tutorials for exercises like the overhead press on the website 'builtwithscience.com/courses'.
Outlines
🏋️♂️ Overhead Press Technique and Common Mistakes
The paragraph discusses the importance of the overhead press for developing rounded shoulders and targeting upper body muscles. It highlights the common errors made during the exercise and provides solutions to maximize shoulder development while minimizing injury risk. The first mistake addressed is flaring the elbows out, which should be corrected by gripping the bar with the thumbs outside the shoulders and initiating the press in the scapular plane. The second point is the barbell path, which should be as vertical as possible to maintain a short and efficient movement. This requires creating space by leaning back slightly and pulling the chin back. The third mistake discussed is excessively arching the lower back, which can lead to injuries and reduced overhead force. To counter this, the body should be stabilized by contracting the glutes, quads, and abdominals before pressing. Mobility issues, such as tight lats and limited thoracic extension, are also mentioned as potential causes for improper form and are suggested to be addressed through foam rolling and specific exercises to improve flexibility.
🔄 Correcting Mobility and Form Issues in Overhead Press
This paragraph continues the discussion on improving the overhead press by focusing on mobility and form. It emphasizes the need for thoracic mobility to maintain proper shoulder alignment when raising arms overhead, as insufficient mobility can lead to lower back arching as a compensation. To improve thoracic mobility, the paragraph suggests using a foam roller on the mid-back and performing deep breaths to enhance upper back extension. Another common issue addressed is wrist bending during the press, which can strain the wrist and limit strength. The recommended solution is to keep wrists neutral and use the Bulldog grip for better wrist alignment and security. The paragraph also warns against incorporating leg movement into the press as it shifts the focus from the shoulders to the lower body, suggesting that this is a different movement called the push press. The importance of performing the overhead press with proper form and without cheating is stressed, and it is advised to lighten the weight or implement previous fixes to maintain the integrity of the exercise. The paragraph concludes with a promotion of an evidence-based program for optimal exercise performance and a call to action for following the instructor on Instagram and subscribing to the channel for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Overhead Press
💡Shoulder Development
💡Elbow Flaring
💡Scapular Plane
💡Barbell Path
💡Lower Back Arching
💡Thoracic Extension
💡Wrist Position
💡Bulldog Grip
💡Push Press
💡Mobility Restrictions
Highlights
Well-developed rounded shoulders are key to a powerful upper body.
The overhead press is essential for shoulder growth.
Overhead press targets shoulders and other upper body muscles.
Overhead press allows easy weight overload.
Proper technique is crucial for maximizing shoulder development and reducing injury risk.
Common mistake: Flaring elbows out during the press.
Correct grip prevents forearm misalignment.
Initiate press in the scapular plane for shoulder safety.
Barbell path should be as short and vertical as possible.
Create space for the bar by leaning back and pulling chin back.
Avoid excessive lower back arching to prevent injury.
Stability comes from squeezing glutes, quads, and abs.
Lack of lat mobility can lead to lower back arching.
Improve thoracic mobility to prevent lower back arching.
Excessive wrist bending can strain the wrist and limit strength.
Use the Bulldog grip to keep wrists neutral.
Avoid using leg movement as compensation in overhead press.
Push press is a different movement involving lower body.
BuiltWithScience offers evidence-based programs for optimal exercise performance.
Follow on Instagram for useful exercise form videos.
Transcripts
well developed rounded shoulders are one
of many key features that dramatically
improves and completes a powerful
looking upper body and in order to best
grow this muscle there's no doubt that
the overhead press should be a staple in
your routine as it not only enables you
to effectively target the shoulders and
the several other upper body muscles are
shown here but it also enables you to
easily overload and lift the most weight
overhead when compared to other shoulder
movements however despite the seemingly
straightforward movement pattern of the
overhead press if you want to maximize
your shoulder development while reducing
your risk of injury then there's a lot
more that goes into it than simply
lifting a bar overhead therefore in this
video I'll cover the five most common
errors people make with the overhead
press and more importantly I'll show you
how to easily fix them right away
one common overhead pressing mistake is
flaring the elbows out during the
movement which from the front view looks
like this where your elbows are pointed
directly out to your sides throughout
the press this is often mistakenly done
by gripping the bar too wide which
causes the forearms to be misaligned
with your hands as shown here what you
want to do instead is grip the bar such
that your thumbs are positioned just
outside of your shoulders enabling your
forearms to be positioned directly under
your hands like so leading to a stronger
and safer press and in addition to this
at the bottom position you need to be
initiating the press and something
called the scapular plane such that at
the bottom position your elbows are
pointed slightly forward or in other
words at roughly a 30-degree angle from
directly sideways then only as you press
up should you naturally allow your
elbows to turn out to the side and then
return back to the scapular plane as you
descend back to the bottom position this
has been shown in multiple biomechanical
analysis studies to not only be a safer
and more comfortable position for the
shoulder joint to be in but also more
effective for overhead pressing which
you likely immediately notice after
implementing this fix
in order to perform the overhead press
most efficiently the barbell path needs
to be as short as possible meaning that
it needs to travel in almost a vertical
line from start to finish rather than in
a curved path around your head but to
successfully accomplish this you need to
create space for the bar as you press
this is done by first very slightly
leaning back by sticking your chest up
and out before you initiate the press
then you want to also pull your chin
back such that the bar is able to travel
straight up as you begin to press then
as the bar passes the top of your head
you pull your chin back forward into its
neutral position such that at the top
position the bar is positioned directly
over your shoulders hips and feet in a
straight line
avoid excessively sticking your head
forward when doing so and also avoid
positioning the bar too far back at the
top instead focus on moving the bar
vertically as this will keep your center
of gravity in an optimal position and
enable you to lift the most weight
possible
keep in mind though that this mistake
may also be due to various mobility
restrictions that your body is
compensating for which will be addressed
in the next mistake excessively arching
the lower back is probably the most
problematic mistake that lifters make
when it comes to this movement not only
does the literature emphasize that this
mistake often leads to acute back
injuries and lower back pain but it's
also been shown to significantly reduce
overhead force and your ability to press
heavy loads which is obviously
detrimental to shoulder development in
the long run so instead you want to keep
your lower back as neutral as possible
throughout the lift but if you're
struggling with this and you're not
using a weight that's too heavy for you
then there's a couple of things you need
to do first you need to ensure that your
body is as stable as possible throughout
the movement and to do this before you
even initiate the press you need to
first actively squeeze your glutes quads
and your abdominals contracting these
three muscles before and during the
press will provide your body with the
stability of needs to prevent your lower
back from our changer in the press
however in addition to this hyper
extending in the lower back is often a
compensation for a lack of mobile
in other areas one such area is the lads
since one of the key attachment points
the lads is the back of the upper arm
when this muscle is tight which it often
is it actually restricts your ability to
lift your arm overhead which your body
then compensates for by arching your
lower back during any overhead pressing
movements so to improve this shortly
before you begin your sets of overhead
press
simply foam roll side to side along both
sides of your lats do this for a few
minutes in order to loosen them up and
afterwards you'll likely notice your
press feels a lot smoother and easier to
execute properly now another problematic
area is something called thoracic
extension or in other words your upper
back mobility again similar to the lats
and as stated in this study from the
Journal of orthopedic sports physical
therapy the higher you raise your arms
overhead the more thoracic mobility is
needed to maintain proper shoulder
alignment therefore without sufficient
thoracic mobility your body will tend to
once again compensate by arching your
lower back to get your arms fully
overhead so to improve this after you
finish foam roll in your lats you can
then place a foam roller on your
mid-back like so with your hands placed
on your head you want to simply let your
upper back extend over the foam roller
as you exhale while avoiding excessively
arching your lower back hold this for
five deep breaths and then repeat this a
couple more times further down your
upper back another common movement area
is excessively bending the wrist or in
the press there's not only strains the
wrist but will also limit your pressing
strength since the wrists are now at a
mechanical disadvantage instead you want
to keep the wrists in a neutral position
and in line with your forearms as you
press and I find that the best grip to
accomplish this is something called the
Bulldog grip where you first place the
bar such that it sits across the base of
your palm then rotate your hands inward
and then grip the bar if you've never
used this grip before you'll immediately
notice that it feels a lot more secure
and easier to keep your wrist neutral as
you press overhead
during the overhead press your body
should be thought of as a stable pillar
with your arms moving overhead to press
a weight however what a lot of people do
especially when they begin to fatigue is
start to incorporate more of their legs
into the movement by bending then
extending them in order to push up more
weight or more reps and although this
isn't necessarily a bad thing it is a
completely different movement and it's
actually something called the push press
which shifts some of the tension away
from the shoulders so if you tend to do
this it's simply an indication that you
should lighten the weight up or
implement the previous fixes discuss
such that you're able to perform your
overhead pressing sets with no cheating
whatsoever do keep in mind though that
performing the push press separately can
be an effective way to improve your
strict overhead press but it is a
separate movement that involves more of
your lower body and less of your
shoulders when compared to the overhead
press and therefore it shouldn't be used
simply as a compensation to lift more
weight when performing your strict
overhead pressing sets so the sum of the
video up here are the main points as
I've said before choosing the right
exercises is one thing but performing
them optimally and safely is really what
makes all the difference in the long run
and if you're looking for a complete
evidence-based program that shows you
exactly how to do this with the use of
in-depth tutorials for each and every
exercise so you can be sure that you're
maximizing your efforts in the gym and
simply head on over to built with
science comm forward slash courses where
you can view the four programs that have
up and choose the one that best suits
you I'd also really appreciate it if you
gave me a follow on Instagram I do post
a lot of exercise form videos on there
which I think a lot of you will find
useful and as always if you enjoyed this
video please don't forget to give it a
like leave a comment down below
subscribe to my channel and turn on
notifications from my channel as well as
this all really does help me out anyways
that's it for today do let me know if
there's any other exercises you'd like
to see me cover in future videos and
it'll do just that I'll see you next
time
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