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Disclaimer
The information presented throughout this book or its accompanying books is not intended
as medical advice or to be a substitute for medical counseling. This information may be
used in conjunction with the guidance and care of your physician. Before undertaking any
information that follows, consult with your physician to be screened appropriately and be
clear of any health concerns. If you do not obtain your physician’s consent and/or choose
to work with your physician during the time following any of the information outlined or any
programs, you are agreeing to accept full responsibility for your actions and any potential
risks. Choosing to follow the information to follow, you recognize that despite all precautions
taken by The Strength Therapist and Samuel Spinelli, there is potential risk of injury/illness
associated with the use of any following information and you expressly acknowledge such
risk and wave, relinquish, and release any claim which you may have against The Strength
Therapist and Samuel Spinelli or their respective affiliates as a result of any future physical
injury or illness incurred in connection with, or as a result of, the use or misuse of your
program. As well, there is inherent risks associated with physical activity and exercise, as well
as going to a gym, and the aforementioned individuals are to be held responsible should
injury occur due to these factors.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please email
TheStrengthTherapist@gmail.com
Table of Contents
Welcome 4
Introduction 5
What does a good overhead press look like? 6
Developing Positions 8
Step 1 - Setting the upper back 8
Step 2 - Learn trunk tension 8
Step 3 - Get the shoulders moving in that range 9
Step 4 - Find the right press for you 9
Conclusion 18
Welcome
Welcome to The Strength Therapist! Thank you for purchasing this book and making the
decision to invest in your health and performance. Look over the content and sift through
this book. Should you have any issues with the book, general questions, or be interested in
pursuing one of our programs reach out to us either by email or Facebook.
@TheStrengthTherapist on Instagram
@Strengthphysio on Twitter
If you’re posting to social media, tag one of the above accounts and use the hashtag
#StrengthTherapist
Introduction
The overhead press is the epitome of development for an impressive upper
body. You can meet people with a strong bench press, but their physique
doesn’t necessarily show it; in fact, you could see that same big bencher on the
street and you might not even know they lift. However, that’s not the same with
the overhead press. The overhead press is unlike many other movements where
you can find strategies around being just brutally strong. It puts a huge demand
on the shoulders and triceps, feeding into that awe-worthy upper body that
men and women desire.
This book has a number of exercises shown in it, but only the bare minimum. You
might think thats odd - why not give you a ton of exercises? Well by selecting
the most minimal number of exercises we could, it put us in a position of
choosing the exercises that have the most return for time and energy
investment. If you find that you want more exercises, head on over to our
youtube channel or instagram and scroll for some great finds.
With that out of the way, we will first examine what that position looks like, how
to get into it if you struggle with it, and variations to use - either as accessory
movements or as your main movement while you build towards strict overhead
pressing.
Many people struggle with not only getting into the optimal position to press, but
to maintain it as they press. The previous description is based upon what we
view as the optimal position, however it is not the only position to press overhead
from. In our view, it is valuable to work on the mechanics as it will allow you to lift
the most weight possible, but as long as you are pain free you should press
overhead in some way - which is where the variety of exercise options will come
in.
For more on this, check out this video where we covered this topic:
https://youtu.be/6wB1B5LLaIg
Developing Positions
Having explained the desired positions, lets talk about some strategies to get
you into the positions if you struggle with it.
https://youtu.be/kTDxSM5YPYE
Using the roller allows us to wedge ourselves into some thoracic extension. It’s a
simple exercise that we can do quickly for some quick results and increase the
range we can access.
https://youtu.be/OD69Z0AugFU
When we use the bench, we are able to incorporate thoracic extension into
shoulder flexion, which is what we need for the overhead press.
If you find that you’re still struggling with achieving the thoracic spine motion
you want, head over to our youtube and Instagram where you’ll find tons of
various drills. However, these are the ones we’d suggest you focus on.
Deadbug - https://youtu.be/Ndhlx_F7360
Due to the low back being against the ground, you get instant feedback
whether you are maintaining your position. As well, while we work on learning
trunk tension we can also work on reaching overhead - always a bonus!
When we press overhead you want have feedback from the ground, so its good
to transition away from the floor. In this version of the plank we are actually
mimicking the press in a way as the arms are elevated above our shoulders and
our torso is in a position much like when are pressing overhead.
https://youtu.be/WGVK0-TPcoI
This allows us to focus on good trunk control and slowly build up into the full
shoulder flexed position overhead. Using a slow tempo and pausing at sticky
points can help to build that range and strength needed for a comfortable
overhead press.
https://youtu.be/Hpu_tENVjzY
As we overhead press, the shoulder blade needs to rotate upward and this can
be an area where people struggle. By using this drill you can help prep your
serratus anterior and trapezius muscles to work on reaching and rotating for
maximum freedom and pain free pressing!
stability, etc. Therefore, if you are unaccustomed to overhead pressing you can
start with some of the “easier” versions and work your way to mastering the
more challenging ones.
https://youtu.be/dKnpEcDe-UA
The landmine press variations are great options for entering into overhead
pressing as they’re a mix between horizontal and vertical pressing. Using the arc
of the landmine we can get more and more comfortable with the “reaching” of
overhead pressing for anyone who is experienced with that pinching sensation
in the shoulder.
https://youtu.be/7_ieKjS2sp8
https://youtu.be/GhY3RN1jnzc
If you are looking to progress past the landmine press but still struggling with
getting that full range of motion, using a posterior weight is a great mid point.
When using the posterior weight, it helps to guide you into the fully flexed
shoulder position.
https://youtu.be/-6PH-KX9K0o
Push press
https://youtu.be/Ks12-FQYS4k
Many people view the push press as an advanced version of the strict press, but
it can actually be an easier movement. It does allow for more loading, but the
bottom of the movement is often the most challenging for people and the push
press lets you get around that by using your legs to generate the starting force.
Strict press
https://youtu.be/5gA2dpddVbM
The exercise we’ve been building up to! If you’ve taken the steps and time to
get here, you should be able to do so with relative ease and comfort. Take your
time in loading it and work on the mechanics at first, but then start to push it.
You’ll be hard pressed to find an exercise that builds a more impressive upper
body physique.
While the strict press is being shown as the end of the progression, always keep
in mind that any of these other variations is a great exercise to use for an
accessory movement and get strong on.
A great accessory movement for work on shoulder rotation strength and putting
in conjunction with pressing. This is best served towards the end of a training
session to finish off pressing work.
This is a fantastic exercise to use for those dealing with shoulders that are not
super tolerant of overhead pressing. By going with a single arm we can have
more freedom of movement, and using the push press can allow for minimizing
the most challenging portion of the lift. We then lower slowly to put an
overloading stress on the tissues, which can be great for those dealing with any
sort of shoulder tendinopathy issues.
If you’ve been dealing with front rack issues, then going to the behind the neck
version can be a great option. Beyond the front rack issue though, pressing from
this position is a great way to emphasize controlling rotation in the shoulders and
also placing more emphasis on the shoulders than the triceps. We have a
number of behind the neck presses variations we will touch on more as well.
Very long name, but a great exercise for those who struggle with controlling
their trunk when pressing overhead/jerking. By placing the foot on the box it
creates a more stable position for the pelvis and helps to find a common ground
where you may struggle with the motor mechanics with both feet on the
ground.
Even more specific than the previous variation, we are now in the receiving
position for the jerk and you can stay in it and work on controlling your rib cage.
This is another variation for honing that split position and really getting good with
your trunk control. For those with a wrist or shoulder issue limiting the front rack,
this can be a great version to use.
While the BTN presses are great, using a narrow grip can be very challenging for
individuals – particularly those who struggle with thoracic extension. This can be
a great option while working on improving positioning.
Building of the static snatch grip press, we are now making a more dynamic
version where we use our legs to initiate the push. For many individuals this is a
great option for heavier loading when the front rack position is aggravating
(such as with a wrist issue).
If you are a weightlifter or crossfitter, you’ve likely played around with this. In this
variation, we go from the normal push press and introduce a secondary knee
bend to allow for greater utilizing of the lower body and increase the weight
lifted. This is a great exercise for learning pushing mechanics and also
challenging people who struggle with a vertical bar path when jerking and tend
to miss in front with the split.
With the split jerk we have gotten to the exercise with the ability to realistically
move the most weight possible. While it can move the most weight, it doesn’t
necessarily build the shoulders and other pressing musculature to the full degree
like the other variations of push presses/strict presses. This can be a great
exercise for most people to learn, but an essential one for weightlifters and
crossfitters.
Assuming you are in need of still fine tuning your technique and positioning
(most people - including us) then structuring the early drills into your warm up
and also into your sets of overhead pressing is very smart. What do we mean by
that? When warming up to do some overhead pressing, doing the drills to help
free up the upper back, getting some tension in the trunk, and loosening up the
shoulders before getting into the press is a great way to get ready to move big
weights. After you’ve warmed up, then including one or two drills between sets
of your overhead press variation will help to continue getting you in the optimal
position to press weights.
Example 1
Warm up -
Warm up -
Each time you overhead press, look to set a “technique personal record.” If this
is your focus, you’ll see the weight improve in time and you will hit fewer road
blocks (such as injuries) that come from focusing on the weight before the
mechanics are there.
Programming
In regards to programming the press, it is very dependent on the athlete and
their goals. Overhead pressing variations can be done relatively frequently
assuming the movement quality and intensity is appropriate. However, the
overhead press can be very demanding on the shoulders for people just
beginning and it is often best to do it a bit less frequently or use more variations
until your technique and mechanics are down.
Powerlifting
This is an accessory movement for the bench but also a great movement for
shoulder hypertrophy and health. It is best used either after all primary bench
work, or it can used as a main movement during off season work to develop the
shoulders to a greater degree. For the first option pick one of the variations that
works best for you, and then use it in a higher rep range such as 6-12, for 2-4 sets
based upon how much bench volume you've done. Placing it in the program
twice a week is generally a good option for hypertrophy. This all varies
depending upon the frequency of your normal bench press work. With most
powerlifters benching 2-4 times a week, it makes a good option for overhead
press variations as back off work 1-3x a week.
Weightlifter
We come to a similar situation to the above as the press is an accessory
movement for the jerk, but it has a lot more precedence than it did with
powerlifters. In particular, getting stronger at lower rep ranges is more beneficial
as hypertrophy is a bit less needed for weightlifting.
During the off season work it is best used after your technical work and for higher
rep ranges 2-3 times a week (2-4 sets of 6-12 reps) using a few variations -
particularly the strict press and push press. You can even use one of the other
variations as an additional variation after strict press or push press for greater
volume and a slightly different stress.
As you are getting more towards a meet, moving to lower rep ranges is ideal
and also putting more focus towards the push variations of the movements.
These will have higher carryover and the non-push variations can be done as a
back off option again. Getting in 1-5 sets of push variations at 1-5 reps, followed
up with another variation for 2-4 sets of 6-12 would be great for this block.
Bodybuilder
Depending upon the type of split you follow, the strict press will fit best on a
shoulder or arm day. Utilizing the main variations for heavier work as a primary
movement on shoulder days allows for great mechanical tension to be created.
Following it with a variation for higher reps, burn out sets, or drop sets can be a
great follow up. For example, doing rack scrape press for 5 sets of 6 reps, then
following it up with half kneeling 1 arm press where you do 12 reps, immediately
drop weight down and then do as many reps as you can with the next weight,
and repeat 1 to 2 more times. This will allow for a combination of a great deal of
mechanical tension and metabolite production.
General fitness
For most individuals who are not chasing down one of the above avenues of fitness, I often
recommend focusing more on variations of the overhead press than spend time on the
strict press. The strict press can be a challenging movement for many to learn well and
often people want to push too hard too fast. Instead, opting to focus on one of the
variations that is less demanding allows them to push hard faster and seeing good progress
regardless.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read the book. At the conclusion of this you should feel
more knowledgeable in regards to what the overhead press is, what a good press looks like,
how to work your way to optimizing your positions, and where to put it in a program. Please
look over all of the information and should you need any help or guidance with the
information, reach out.
If you want to maximize your overhead press even more, contact us about one
of our program options.
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