How-To: Proper Overhead Press Technique
Simulating the overhead press using just one’s bodyweight is the trickiest essential Primal movement yet. The standard bodyweight replacement for the standing overhead press is the handstand pushup. I’m a huge fan, but the reality is that it’s not a realistic prescription for most people right off the bat. Can you imagine Grandpa busting out a set of ten handstand pushups? Not very likely (yet). It’s a tough, tough movement (which is why it works so well and why it’s level 8 in the PBF progression), but luckily you can target the same muscles with a much more elementary movement: the shoulder press pushup.
It is simple fact that pressing heavy things overhead is a fundamental movement that builds strength and improves our ability to function in the real world. Variations of the shoulder press pushup gives everyone, of all strength and fitness levels, the ability to train that plane of movement without the need for equipment. It sounds easy, and the first couple reps might be, but you’d be surprised at how complete a workout the shoulder press pushup can put your upper body through. Here’s how to do it:
How to Do the Basic Shoulder Press Pushup
- Squat down and place your hands on the floor, shoulder width (or slightly wider) apart.
- Place your feet on a chair or bench behind you then straighten your legs and stick your butt in the air.
- Walk your hands back until your torso is perpendicular to the ground.
- Keeping your head aligned with your torso, lower yourself until the top of your head touches the ground.
- Press up, using your shoulders for the bulk of the movement.
- Lock your elbows and repeat the movement.
Things to Remember
- Try to make your torso as perpendicular to the ground as possible. You’re trying to approximate the overhead press, and forming a 90 degree angle (or close to it) with the ground will help prepare you for the full handstand pushup. It may help to periodically draw your chest closer to your feet during your set.
- Tight hamstrings can make forming an L-shape with your torso and legs difficult. Place your feet on a higher platform if this is the case for you. I suggest around 2 feet on the low end and around 3 feet on the high end for bench height.
- Press through the palm, rather than your fingertips, to really target the shoulders.
- Protect your rotator cuff: don’t force your elbows out to the side. They’ll naturally want to angle forward, toward your feet. Let them.
- Like the Pullup, this Essential Movement is more difficult to master than the Pushup, Squat or Plank. As such, I recommend most people beginning on Levels 1-3 for the Overhead Press.
Grandpa may not be pressing his own bodyweight upside down against the wall just yet, but if he can nail the shoulder press pushup, he may get there after all.
Watch this video on proper form and technique for the first 4 of 9 total overhead press movements in the PBF Lift Heavy Things bodyweight progression.
Find out where you should begin in the overhead press progression by taking the self-assessment test found in Primal Blueprint Fitness and then get started today!
Posted By: Mark Sisson
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Thanks for useless comment spam.
And Mark, thanks for posting all these how-tos. I did the self-evaluation the other day and ended up in the level 2-3 range for everything except squat, where I busted out 66 in a row! Not sure why my legs are so much stronger than my upper body. Is that fairly typical for guys who are not in super shape?
You’re welcome.
Oh, and if you’re overweight, that might mean an extra workout for your legs every time you walk.
There’s no need to be a jerk, Charles.
Uncephalized, if you’re a female, I don’t want to generalize, but females tend to have a predisposition to greater lower body strength/endurance/stamina and less upper body strength than men. It’ll come in time! The differences have to do with everything from hormones, and Q angle, to culture and media. But, like I said, nothing a little hard work and time won’t solve.
Since I have a gym membership, I won’t be doing this one. I guess it’s good for someone in prison. Anyone else ought to be able to find something heavy to lift above their head.
Just make sure your using the bench that supports your back so you can really isolate those delts
Thanks, but doesn’t PB emphasize full body work, as opposed to isolated movements?
That’s embarrassing. You must have just accidentally sounded condescending there…
Mark, I like the movement, but here is a question. Aren’t you losing a lot of neural drive in manintaing an inverted position and hence the loading on the shoulders is compromised. In other words, the motor unit recruitment in shoulders for a heavy military press far outweighs handstand pushups.
A true HSPU requires that you not only press your bodyweight, but do so with your core engaged for balance.
A bodyweight press is nothing to knock….
The motor unit recruitment in the shoulder is just like that of the press in a strict HSPU and greater in your core and other supporting musculature involved in balancing the body.
How come most power athletes don’t train to win a 100m olympic race or pole vault using handstands, bodyweight squats and kipping (dweeb) pull-ups instead of using heavy duty presses, squats and deadlifts?
Studies have repeatedly shown that motor unit recruitment in shoulders, traps and triceps are greatest while doing heavy barbell presses, not push ups.
If you’re training for the Olympics, yes you might make some changes to PBF as presented. Most people, including myself, aren’t training for the Olympics. We just want to be functionally fit for life, look and feel good and achieve it with as little time, money, equipment, pain and sacrifice as possible.
Additionally, the fact that PBF LHT doesn’t include non-bodyweight weighted presses doesn’t mean it’s not part of PBF. Check back in future weeks for Workouts of the Week (WOWs).
The advantage offered by doing dumbbell or, even better, barbell presses (if you have access to the equipment) is that you can move through a slightly larger range of motion, because the weight (and your hands) will come down to your collarbones, instead of stopping when your head reaches the floor.
The solution, if you want to continue doing handstand pushups (especially if you’re doing them unsupported), is to place your hands on something that will provide elevation, while allowing your head to descend past them – a pair of chairs, or cement blocks, or whatever.
My personal best is three HSPUs, so getting up to that set of ten is my next big goal, along with being able to do a Military Press of my full bodyweight. Nothing like a good challenge to get the mind engaged!
Don’t knock it til you’ve tried to do 10 full handstand pushups in a row (make sure the top of your head contacts the floor each time)! Mark doesn’t demonstrate that here, though he does demonstrate the progressions leading up to it.
Your own bodyweight is heavy stuff and the shoulder burn is pretty quick!
I remember doing that every day as a teenager. going to try it again just for laughs. Medic standing by…
I have never done anything like this exercise before. I have been concentrating on the first 3 exercises and have been doing great. I plan on starting the primal fitness “program” with all 5 exercises on Monday.
Its always a lot of fun to add new exercises to your workout routine. I don’t see myself being able to do a handstand pushup yet but I am thinking I can do the overhead pushup.
Thanks mark for a great video!
There are kipping Hand Stand Push Ups (HSPU) that are much easier than a strict HSPU. It is still on the advanced side but worth including as a potential variation to the strict HSPU.
When I had a trainer (year’s ago, mind you before I knew about MDA, of course), he had me do handstand push-ups, which he referred to as prison push-ups. I couldn’t even do one, I just froze there with quivering arms. It was rather embarrassing.
The overhead press is one of my personal favorites (either barbell or kettlebell). That being said, nothing beats bodyweight exercises for convenience and handstand push ups definitely hit the best of both worlds.
My personal favorite, too. Such a great whole-body movement.
Best,
Johnny
Hey Mark,
Nice progression. I am up to about 3 full handstand pushups per set now. Just starting to concentrate more on bodyweight exercises. I think they are better for aging joints. I work out with Kettle Bells and I do Scott Sonnen’s Circular Strength Training. You might want to check out his “Ageless Mobility” IntuFlow stuff if you are a grandpa looking to stay young. I am 60 and my joints feel like they are in their 20′s. I am a relative newcomer to MDA and I really like what your doing here. Keep up the good work.
I’ve witnessed dozens of guys who can press a lot of barbell or dumbbell weight over their heads, but struggle to do one HSPU. Conversely, most of those I’ve been around who can bang out HSPU’s with good form usually have no trouble pressing some considerable weight overhead, and if not right away, can translate their HSPU strength into weighted pressing strength very quickly. Just what I’ve experienced, anyways.
I practiced some handstands a while ago and sort of got out of the habit of it until a week ago I decided to really commit to them. I didn’t watch the progression video but practicing handstands against a wall would certainly be a good idea to for learning how to balance ones self while doing the scaled progressions for the strength.
I did these things all the time when I was in the military, and I’m pretty sure I destroyed my shoulders as a result. Between the tens of thousands of pushups and these.
of course, moderation is key I guess, but I wished I’d never encountered this exercise. I know I’ll never be able to do them again.
I’m a grandpa 3 (almost 4) times over and I can do handstand pushups! Do dis this G-Pa! Just sayin’…
thats “Don’t”
I think this is a great way to gain strength and get ready to do a handstand push up. Doing them with your feet on a bench is as close to doing it as you can get. I think most people don’t realize how strong your core has to be to do a hand stand push up. I think doing these at the end of your normal shoulder workout would be a great way to finish your workout.
Should have shown the next progression; elevated press with one hip joint in full extension.
I think it’s kinda funny how some people act like this isn’t a good enough exercise. I have been doing these, trying to work my way to free standing HSPU, right now I’m doing these slightly leaning my feet against a wall until I get the balance down. I can do one set of 10, but not 11. I can overhead press 180 for 5 reps on a barbell. Think of it this way, what would be more impressive? Someone repping a heavy barbell? Or, someone getting into a handstand and doing several HSPUs? I think the HSPUs are way more impressive. Just like it’s more impressive when someone can do several strict one arm pushups than throwing up huge weight on the bench press. That’s just my opinion, but I’ll bet a lot of people agree with me here.
Handstand pushups are a great goal to reach for and this looks like a good transitional exercise to help get there.
the point it seems most are missing is…functional fitness. the routine allows your body to function better. can you bulk up with heavy weights?? u bet! can you be lean and strong with this? absolutely! be uncivilized in your workout but let’s be civil to each other
Will there be a post on the handstand pushup itself? I wonder how one prevents one’s head from exploding on this exercise. I can do about 7 pushups before I have to stop; fearing my eyeballs will pop out of my skull. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?
I have found that focusing on my breath and having nice easy breaths helps me with this problem of head bursting as well as maintaining better balance.
Handstand pushup…what a head rush!!
I make sure to deep breathe a lot when I do handstand push-ups but my head kinda hurts after and when I look in the mirror afterwards my eyes are very red…is that bad?
A little late in the discussion, I know. But hmmmmmm, wonder if Grok ever did a handstand pushup for the sake of working his upper body?
I would imagine Grok did heavy barbell presses and jerks. Probably also threw in some band pull-aparts to ensure shoulder health.