vertical push
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
shoulders · triceps · core
barbell · intermediate
How to do it
- 1Hold the bar at shoulder height, hands just outside your shoulders.
- 2Press overhead until your arms are straight, then lower under control.
What to think about
- Squeeze your glutes to stop your lower back arching.
- Move your head back slightly so the bar travels straight.
What usually goes wrong
- Leaning back to turn it into an incline press.
Worth knowing
- If overhead work is uncomfortable for your shoulder, use a landmine or incline press instead.
Watch it
Instead of this
What the cautions rest on
The safety points above come from these, not from house opinion.
- Strength and muscle gain require progressively increasing demand over time.
- Weight training carries a low injury rate compared with most field and contact sports.
- Holding your breath through a heavy rep raises blood pressure sharply, which matters most for people carrying cardiovascular risk.
- Free weights carried over the head or trunk need a spotter or a catch mechanism, and equipment needs checking before it is loaded.
Who checked this
Nobody qualified has. These are standard coaching points and ordinary gym safety, written down: how to set the thing up, what to control, and when to stop a set. They are not a clinical opinion and no physiotherapist or strength coach has read them back. If they disagree with somebody who can actually see you lift, believe that person.