How to do a Push Press
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Push Press
Workouts with Push Press
Instructions for Proper Form
Push Press is a compound explosive exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. It’s most similar to something like a Thruster, but relies much less on the lower body. This is a great exercise for practicing timing for more advanced movements like the Jerk, or simply improving strength and power in your overhead presses.
- Rack the barbell to just below shoulder height and grab ahold of it with a double overhand grip shoulder-width apart.
- Dip underneath the bar to rest it on top of your shoulders before unracking it and stepping back. Place your feet shoulder-width apart slightly angled out.
- Drop into a quarter before explosively extending your legs and arms to raise the barbell overhead.
- The barbell should be in alignment with your ears before you return it back to the starting position.
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How effective Is the Push Press?
The push press is highly effective for developing overall strength and power. It primarily targets the shoulders, triceps, and upper chest while also engaging the lower body and core muscles to generate the explosive movement needed to press the weight overhead. This compound exercise improves muscle coordination, enhances athletic performance, and helps build muscle mass and strength in multiple muscle groups.
Common Form Mistakes
Leaning Back
Leaning back can help you lift a bit more weight, or finish off a difficult set. However, it also reduces the effectiveness of the exercise, and increases the risk of injury. Keep your back straight, core engaged, and gaze forward to help prevent this.
Narrow Base
Since you aren’t lifting with your lower body, it’s very common to take a neutral standing position with your feet close together. As you raise the weight overhead, this can lead to losing balance and increases your risk of injury. Keep your feet slightly wider, and your core engaged to help you remain stable throughout the exercise.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Push Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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- beginner8reps40lbs1 Rep Max50lbs
- intermediate8reps45lbs55lbs
- advanced8reps60lbs75lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Push Press
1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 7,929 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for slightly more instability than with equipment like barbells. This can help you recruit and develop stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. In addition, by using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
2. Barbell Shoulder Press
97 mSCORESWAPPED 6,191 TIMESBarbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By using a barbell instead of other pieces of equipment, you can add more stability to the movement, which allows you to focus more on exertion rather than stability. This is one of the best exercises for developing vertical pressing strength.
3. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
86 mSCORESWAPPED 3,475 TIMESStanding Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other Shoulder Press variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By using dumbbells, you add more instability to the movement which can help recruit smaller stabilizing muscles around your shoulder. In addition, by performing this exercise while standing you add even more instability.
4. Arnold Dumbbell Press
93.2 mSCORESWAPPED 3,263 TIMESArnold Dumbbell Press is a compound movement that primarily targets the shoulders. The difference between the Arnold Press and a standard Shoulder Press is that you bring the dumbbells in front of you at the bottom of the movement rather than stopping when they reach your shoulders. Bringing the dumbbells in front of you can be more a comfortable movement as well as improve muscle activation.
5. Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
85.7 mSCORESWAPPED 3,256 TIMESSeated Barbell Shoulder Press is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By performing this exercise while seated, you add much more stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stability. In addition, being seated also prevents you from utilizing your legs to assist in moving the weight.
6. Dumbbell Front Raise
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 3,196 TIMESDumbbell Front Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise, and can work well to isolate the shoulders to build strength and muscle mass. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
7. Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
94.7 mSCORESWAPPED 3,041 TIMESDumbbell Rear Delt Raise is a variation of Dumbbell Shoulder Raise. Similar to other shoulder raises, this is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. By hinging your hips back, and leaning forward slightly, you can further emphasize your rear deltoids (back of the shoulder).
8. Cable Lateral Raise
97.7 mSCORESWAPPED 2,819 TIMESCable Lateral Raise is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Shoulder Raise. Similar to the Dumbbell Shoulder Raise, this isolation exercise primarily targets the shoulders, and more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). By using a cable machine, you have more control over the direction your resistance is coming from, and can easily make adjustments. In addition, by isolating each side of the body, you can more easily identify and address strength imbalances between sides.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
9. Dumbbell Shoulder Raise
97.8 mSCORESWAPPED 2,415 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise and can work well for building muscle mass and strengthening the shoulders. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
10. Cable Face Pull
96 mSCORESWAPPED 2,236 TIMESCable Face Pull is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders, more specifically your posterior deltoids (back of the shoulder). By using a cable machine, you have more control over where the resistance is coming from, and can easily make adjustments by either moving towards or away from the cable machine, or by adjusting the height of the pulley.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable