Guide
Overhead Press Guide
Quick answer
A strict overhead press starts with the bar on the shoulders, a braced trunk, and no knee dip. Elbows lock out overhead. If you use your legs, you did a push press. Log it as a push press.
Estimate it on the shoulders section of the homepage calculator. The default formula is Epley. Keep the reps in a range you can do strictly, usually under 8, if you want the estimate to mean anything for the strict press.
Estimates only. Testing a true max carries risk; use a spotter or safety arms. Not medical advice.
Overhead press calculatorStrict press, push press, and dumbbell press.Open →On this page
- What is a strict press?
- Where does the push press fit?
- How do you get a press stronger?
- How do you judge the number?
- Key takeaways
- FAQ
What is a strict press?
Bar on the front of the shoulders, or close to it, feet planted, knees quiet. Press until the elbows are straight and the bar is over the middle of the foot. A lean back that turns the press into an incline is a shorter, easier rep. Stand back up.
The dumbbell shoulder press is not half of a barbell max, and it is not the same as a seated machine. Enter the weight of one dumbbell if that is the lift.
Where does the push press fit?
A push press uses a dip and drive to start the bar. It will be heavier than your strict press. It is useful if you train Olympic lifts or if you want overhead load your strict press cannot yet hold. It does not count as your press max.
If you only ever push press, your strict press will lag. Do at least some reps from a dead stop at the shoulders.
How do you get a press stronger?
Press more than once a week if the shoulders tolerate it. Add the small plates. Sets of 3 to 6 work. A set of 10 is a different session and a worse 1RM input.
The limiting factor is often the start, or the lockout, or the low back complaining because you leaned. Film one set from the side before you buy a new program. You may just be turning it into an incline.
How do you judge the number?
Against your own log, and as a ratio to body weight if you want a simple comparison. This site does not publish elite press standards. There is no licensed table behind a label like that here.
A press that is far behind your bench is common. The ranges of motion are different. Chase the press on its own terms instead of as a percentage of the bench you wish you had.
People steal bench advice for the press. The bench page is for the bench. Standards explains why there is no elite press number on this site.
Key takeaways
- A strict press does not use the knees.
- One dumbbell is not a barbell max.
- Judge the load by clean reps, not by a rank.
- The bar path stays close. A press in front of the face stalls.
FAQ
Can I use a belt?
Yes, if you always use it on the sets you count. It is still a strict press only if the knees do not kick.
Seated or standing?
Standing if you care about the standing press. A seat with a backrest shortens the demand on the trunk. Do not mix the maxes.
What about behind-the-neck presses?
A different shoulder position. Skip them if they hurt. They are not required to press overhead.
Why is my press stuck while my bench goes up?
They do not share a limiting muscle in a simple way. Press more often, strictly, with small jumps.
Should I test a press single?
Rarely. A hard set of five, done without a leg drive, is enough to estimate and to train.