Push Press
BarbellStrength
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The Push Press is a barbell overhead pressing exercise where you use a slight knee bend and explosive leg drive to help press the bar overhead from shoulder height. Its primary purpose is to build explosive power and shoulder stability while engaging the full body. It mainly targets the shoulders (deltoids), with secondary work on the triceps, upper chest, and core, making it ideal for athletes and lifters seeking to move heavier overhead loads than a strict press allows. It requires a barbell and rack.
How to Perform Push Press
- 1Set a barbell in a rack at shoulder height and grip it slightly wider than shoulder-width. Unrack it into a front-rack position across your shoulders, elbows forward.
- 2Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out, core braced, gaze forward.
- 3Bend your knees slightly into a quarter-squat dip, keeping your chest up, back flat, and the bar stable on your shoulders.
- 4Explosively drive through your heels to extend your knees and hips upward, generating upward momentum through your legs.
- 5As your hips reach full extension, press the bar overhead by extending your arms fully and shrugging your shoulders, exhaling forcefully as you lock out your elbows.
- 6Inhale as you lower the bar back down to your shoulders under control.
- 7Repeat for desired reps, resetting to the quarter-squat dip each time.
- 8Key form tips: Keep your core tight to avoid arching your lower back; drive power from your legs first, then finish with your arms; keep the bar path close to your body. Common mistakes: Turning the dip into a full squat, pressing before full leg extension, or leaning back excessively at lockout.
