The press, overhead press or shoulder press is a weight training exercise, typically performed while standing, in which a weight is pressed straight upwards from the shoulders until the arms are locked out overhead.
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Movement
The press is set up by taking a barbell and putting it on the anterior deltoids. This can be done by taking the barbell from a rack or by cleaning the weight from the floor (clean and press). Alternatively the movement can be performed with dumbbells, though they do not rest neatly on the deltoids. They do not have easily accessible high racks so the trainee needs to clean them or have a spotter assist them in getting them into the starting position.
The press involves moving a barbell or dumbbells from the shoulder and pushing it up above the head until the elbows are fully locked out. As the bar clears the head, the lifter leans forward slightly in order to keep balance. As the bar is lowered back to the shoulders and clears the head again, the lifter leans slightly back.
The press is a highly effective compound upper-body exercise. Performing it standing recruits many more muscle groups in order to maintain balance and support the lift, rather than performing it seated. Like the squat and deadlift, it can be thought of as a whole-body exercise, to some extent.
Overhead Lifts Video
Variations
Other variations of the overhead press are:
- Arnold Press: beginning a dumbbell press with forearms supinated, ending with forearms pronated. Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Arnold Press in essence greatly increases the [Larry] Scott Press's range of motion by starting in a position close to the dumbbell curls' finishing position instead of the Scott Press's starting position of elbows pulled back and at or above the shoulder.
- Behind-the-neck press: barbell on the trapezius vs. on the anterior deltoids
- Bradford Press: as you press, once the bar clears a few inches overhead it is slowly lowered behind the head then explosively reversed to the front and slowly lowered to the starting position. The 2 phases are commonly considered one repetition. Named after Jim Bradford.
- Dumbbell press: using dumbbells.
- Military press: Heels together with strict form. It is called the "Military Press" because this movement used to be the general indicator or test of one's strength in the military.
- Olympic press (clean and press): lift used in Olympic Weightlifting, consists of a clean, then pressing with no lower body movement, such as in the Push press. Discontinued after 1972 Olympics due to inconsistent judging criteria (such as should the lifter be allowed to bend backwards slightly when pressing, should a leg drive be allowed).
- One-handed press: pressing with one arm at a time.
- Push press: using leg drive to press the barbell up
- Seated press : pressing while seated (commonly on a bench).
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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