Push Press Workout Guide: How to Master Push Presses

A push press, also known as a barbell push press, is a weightlifting exercise that activates muscle groups throughout your body. Perform push presses by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a weighted barbell and rest it against your upper chest in a front rack position. Bend your knees and push into the floor with an explosive leg drive movement. Lift the bar overhead with an upper body movement pattern similar to the overhead press.

For push presses, begin by using a weight that you can control for 2–4 sets of 3–8 repetitions. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. With the squat rack hooks set up on the outside of the squat rack, set up a barbell to the appropriate height on the squat rack according to your height. The barbell should be slightly lower than your shoulders, and you should have enough space to press the barbell overhead.
2. 2. Face the barbell and step toward it. Place your hands under each side of the barbell. Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders.
3. 3. Grab the barbell with a full grip and your palms underneath it, rotating your arms under the barbell so your elbows are pointing forward. Lift your chest and push your head back to prevent the barbell from contacting your neck. The barbell should rest on your upper chest and the front of your shoulders.
4. 4. Un-rack the barbell and take a couple steps backward. Your posture should be tall, with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
5. 5. Evenly distribute your weight and grip the floor with your feet to create a stable position. Pre-tension your shoulders and hips while engaging your core. All repetitions should begin from this starting position.
6. 6. Keeping your chest high, begin the downward movement by bending your knees to lower your body a couple of inches while maintaining an upright body position.
7. 7. Explosively push your feet into the floor to begin to straighten your legs. Once your legs straighten, allow the momentum of your legs to help drive the barbell overhead as if you’re performing an explosive overhead press. Your heels should rise slightly off the ground as you push the weight overhead.
8. 8. The barbell should finish slightly behind your ears, with your head pushed forward to its neutral position. Your chin should remain tucked and your shoulders and upper back should support the barbell in the overhead position. Your shoulders should finish over your hips.
9. 9. Lower the barbell back toward your shoulders to set up for another repetition.

Including push presses in your strength-training routine can have several benefits.

1. 1. Push presses are a full-body workout. Push presses build muscle in your lower body and upper body, activating muscles like the glutes, pecs, triceps, deltoids, quadriceps, and lower back muscles.
2. 2. Push presses allow you to lift heavier weights. Although the barbell push press uses a smaller range of motion than the dumbbell push press, it allows you to lift heavier weights.
3. 3. Push presses prepare you for other compound exercises. With practice, the push press can increase your upper body strength and lower body power for other challenging exercises like the bench press, deadlift, push-up, and clean and jerk.

Consider trying one of these push press variations.

1. 1. Arnold press: The Arnold press is defined by a wrist rotation movement that ends when your palms face forward at the top of the press.
2. 2. Kettlebell shoulder press: Perform this variation by lifting a kettlebell overhead with a controlled movement pattern.
3. 3. Military press: This variation uses a slightly narrower stance than a standard push press.
4. 4. Landmine press: The landmine press uses a piece of equipment that attaches to the one end of a barbell and keeps it in place during the exercise. The standard landmine press involves the lifter raising the barbell overhead from chest level.
5. 5. Push jerk: Although it is similar to the push press, the push jerk exercise adds another bend in the knees when catching the weighted barbell at the top of the movement.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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