Tip A Better Way to Overhead Press Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip A Better Way to Overhead Press Many athletes and bodybuilders are dropping the overhead press and replacing it with this safer alternative Check it out by Dr John Rusin October 19, 2016August 18, 2019 Tags Tips, Training Problems With the Barbell Overhead Press Straight-bar overhead pressing is a great diagnostic tool. It'll tell you a lot about your spinal stability, scapular mobility, shoulder strength and function. But it's rarely a good fit for those struggling to achieve good positions or those who have bad posture. First off, the symmetrical stance (feet parallel on the floor) has the potential to create instability and hyperextension at the lumbar-pelvic junction. It's this lack of trunk and pillar support that becomes the weakest link in the functional chain. It limits top-end loads and places unwanted stress on the spine. Since the body is a functional unit, this hyperextension can become more notable when you lack the ability to achieve a neutral, or possibly even slightly extended, thoracic spine position. A rounded mid-back will be tough on the lower back and also on the shoulder, reducing space in the shoulder girdle for structures to properly function. Between the lack of lumbar spine stability, thoracic spine mobility, and the ability to display functional range of motion and stability through the shoulder girdle, the standard overhead press can be risky. Do This Instead Dynamic Scrape-The-Rack Press You might be familiar with this one. Coach Thibaudeau goes into detail with it in Tip: Do the Strip-the-Rack Press. It lessens all the problems that come with traditional overhead pressing, and it's become a staple pressing movement for my athletes. Using a split stance will reduce the hyperextension of the lower spine and pelvis. Additionally, the friction between the bar and the rack increases the stability through the shoulders, and it increases the centration of the shoulder joint itself. This stimulates the intrinsic stabilizers of the gleno-humeral joint and scapula making everything work together better. Use a False Grip If you want to take this press to the next level, try using a false grip. This will reduce the carrying angle of the upper arm and position the shoulders in a more naturally centralized position. Since the anterior deltoid is largely comprised of fast twitch muscle fibers, train this movement explosively for low to moderate rep ranges. This will reduce the need to overload the exercise. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Squat Mechanics A Deep Analysis It's time to finally fix your squat. Here's an in-depth look at squat mechanics from the author of Starting Strength. Powerlifting & Strength, Squat, Training Mark Rippetoe April 22 Training Maximum Recruitment Training 1 When anyone talks about training for any goal, they need to consider force, speed, and muscle fiber recruitment. They're the gears that are driving the bus, and Chad Waterbury is at the wheel. Remember, though, that the driver carries no change. Training Chad Waterbury September 13 Training Tip Dips With Band Adding a band to your dips not only increases the tension at the top, it'll also naturally bend you forward for better pec stimulation. Chest, Exercise Coaching, Tips Paul Carter April 23 Training Building the Case for Hybrid Training Bodybuilding guru Scott Abel says that training for hypertrophy, size, thickness, density, and shape is not the same as strength training. If the question is how to gain unadulterated muscle mass, is hybrid training the answer? Training Max Shank July 26