If You Press Overhead Like This, You're Headed Toward Injury. Fix it!

Overhead presses are great for building total body strength, and chiseling the shoulders into boulders. However, if they are done improperly, it's like breakdancing on thin ice, and risk goes through the roof. The shoulder is the most mobile joint, and also the least stable one, making it ridiculously easy to injure with poor movement, unnatural movevent, and compensation. Don't end up like the vast population of the world with some type of shoulder pain, and bullet-proof them with better movement. Here are some flaws to watch out for, and cues and drills to fix them with.

1. There is a bit of a curve to every type of overhead press. If the resistance you use only moves in a straight line, fix it, and use everything in your upper back to help you press overhead. Need more clarification? Check the video from David Corrado below, and fix your robotic overhead press. 

Of all the moves I see in group fitness classes I teach, the overhead press is one of the most commonly screwed-up exercises. Learning to press on machines has a lot of participants pressing dumb bells in a straight line, instead of with a collar to overhead arc like seen in the video here. Fix your shoulder press today! #trainerspace #corradostrength #fitfam #fitness #strength #cscs #trainsmart #trainright #grind #justdoit #powerlifting #igfitfam

33 Likes, 2 Comments - David Corrado B.S, CSCS (@trainathlon) on Instagram: "Of all the moves I see in group fitness classes I teach, the overhead press is one of the most..."

Preparing for my Intro to kettlebell workshop, definitely going to include "Heartbeats." The heartbeat is an awesome move for: -Building better posture -Learning to engage the shoulders in the compound lifts -Teaching how to brace the spine and abdomen properly in any of these compound lifts. You can catch that workshop on 3/27 and 3/29, message me for more details, or come learn it in person at @trainerspace. #bocaraton #kettlebell #training #trainerspace #fitfam #strongfirst #hardstyle #trainsmart #abs #pushharder #killit #davidkfitness #pushpullgrind

59 Likes, 2 Comments - David Corrado B.S, CSCS (@trainathlon) on Instagram: "Preparing for my Intro to kettlebell workshop, definitely going to include "Heartbeats." The..."

2.Where there shouldn't be a curve is your spine. Many people lean back to make their shoulder press look more like an incline press. This will put the lumbar spine at serious risk, do not do it, Instead, tighten your Rectus Abdominus (6-pack muscle), and cinch your obliques (the hourglass abdominal muscles) inward. This will keep you upright, and your spine in a safe place. Try the heartbeat drill shown above to fix this. It will challenge the strength of the midsection, so that it can be put to good use during an overhead press. Bulletproof your back, and you'll also bulletproof your shoulders. The movement is the main idea.

The women holding a medball is demonstrating a perfectly unperfect press-out. The ball isn't directly overhead, it's slightly in front. Press-outs can happen behind the neck too, and can be very risky for your entire upper back.

3.Press tall! That bar or weighted object should finish overhead as far off the ground as you can physically push it. If you press out in front, it's not as high as it should be, and your shoulders aren't functioning properly, and if it's too far behind your head, it's also not as high as it should be, and probably straining your neck or lower back. Don't let one of the foundational functional training moves cause dysfunction, focus on what is needed, approach it carefully, and build strength after you build technique!

Takeaways:

-Proper technique is essential, I mean it! Especially on this exercise. The Overhead Press is a risky exercise involving the riskiest joint of the body, but if you navigate this carefully, you will have strong, healthy movement.

-It's called an overhead press, if it doesn't look like it's getting overhead, you're not doing it correctly. Lower the weight, modify it, and try again.

-This is also a challenging core exercise. If you think deadlifts are risky for the lower back, then tread carefully with the overhead press. Don't approach it as a shoulder movement, approach it knowing that your full body is about to go to work!

David Corrado BS,CSCS, TSAC-F

Founder of Trainathlon

David Corrado is a strength and conditioning coach in multiple areas of Boca Raton, FL. David is highly sought after in the luxury fitness, country club, and corporate fitness jobs all over Palm Beach County. David is also the founder of Trainathlon.com.