07/08/2025
Today we took some time to focus on how to correctly OH press. This is a movement I see done incorrectly on a regular basis and wanted to make sure we were all on the same page in order to get the best results and avoid injury. Here are some of the key points.
1. Keep your elbow tight. Don’t let it flare out during either part of the motion. All this does is put unnecessary pressure on the joint itself and puts you at risk of injury.
2. Extend all the way to the ceiling. Don’t leave your elbow bent at the top of the motion. Make sure you are pressing all the way through, pausing for a second with everything from the heel, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, and weight lined up, then slowly bring the weight back down to starting position.
3. Don’t shrug. It’s natural to want to shrug as you press. Try and squeeze your shoulder blades back and down to keep your trap disengaged and keep the focus on your delts.
4. Keep your core tight. In every part of this motion, you are going to want to naturally lean back as your body will try and recruit other muscles groups to help press…this results in core disengagement and your lower back not only taking over, but taking over in a vulnerable position. This greatly increases your risk of injury, and also limits progress. When your body is working together, it can get stronger.
If you feel like you may be doing this wrong or are not sure, try signing up for a few classes and learning how to feed correct functionality instead of promoting body imbalance.
Let us know below if you feel you have this movement mastered or if you could probably use some help getting it right.