Put it over your ‘Ed!

One of the main objectives of the Strongman of old and antiquity was to pick things, heavy things up and put them over their heads! How much you could put over your head was a real test of strength, almost a right of passage of sorts.

Strength enthusiasts of today are more concerned with how much they can lift while lying on their backs as opposed to how much they can put over their heads. It’s no coincidence that with both our sedentary lifestyles and all this horizontal pressing that we have shoulder impingement issues and other complaints due to lack of overhead mobility and strength.

The Overhead, Standing or Military Press (can be used interchangeably), are great exercises for developing total upper body strength. When performed correctly the Overhead Press is a truly functional exercise that develops upper body strength whilst increasing the ability of the torso and it’s musculature to stabilise the spine and shoulder girdle.

Pressing Overhead can be considered as ‘contra-indicative’ by some groups, but this labeling is truly unfounded. In my opinion there are no bad exercises, just exercises performed badly. Where most people go wrong with the Overhead Press (and most exercises) is that they don’t use a full range of movement. Not using a full range of movement in the Overhead Press exacerbates lifestyle induced postural problems as mentioned above.

When the Overhead Press is performed correctly not only is it a great strength builder it is also brilliant for improving stability and range across the whole shoulder girdle. Performing it correctly is extremely important. The difference between it being a good exercise and an exercise gone wrong can be a matter of inches. The key to performing it correctly comes down to two things which are inextricably combined. The first is that at no time throughout the lift from the start position to the end position should internal rotation across the humerus or shoulder joint occur. The second is that the elbows should always be in front or under the bar when looking at the lifter from the side.

There’s a third crucial component to the lift and this is that a repetition is only completed when when the bar is locked out overhead. When the bar is locked out overhead the lifter should feel like they can rest in this position. If the bar is forward of the ‘lock’ position a full range of movement hasn’t occurred and the retractors of the upper back and scapula haven’t properly engaged. If the bar is moved further back and behind the ‘lock’ position the load will cause the lifter to fall backwards or lose the bar. The Lockout position is where the bar is over the line of gravity and falls through the lifters centre of mass and base of support. With lighter weights you should try and find this line of gravity and overhead lockout position.

The weight should first be cleaned to the rack or lifted off supports. You need to become comfortable with a bar in the rack position first of all (this is important for Front Squatting and Cleaning as well as pressing overhead). From here the lower body needs to be stabilised and tight, the thoracic is engaged and intra throacic and intra abdominal pressure is increased, the bar is then pressed upwards and behind the head. Often by allowing the head to move forwards and through the arms creates more space and allows the upper scapula to retract and the bar to better lock. When the bar is pressed all the way overhead and the elbows are locked this is one rep, repeat as per your need!!

Good luck and get lifting over your head!

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