The overhead press is a popular and effective exercise for strengthening the shoulders, arms, and core Pressing overhead builds the upper body, particularly the shoulders and upper back, and increases core stability. But if you don’t follow proper form or warm up properly before an overhead press workout, you’ll increase your risk of injury.
So high is the risk of injury when doing overhead presses that some trainers don’t recommend that clients with shoulder or upper back issues do this exercise. On the plus side, the overhead press works all the muscles around the shoulder, including the rotator cuff muscles, which are important for stabilizing the shoulder joint. By strengthening these muscles, you’ll decrease your risk of shoulder injuries. Despite their benefits, don’t do them if you have active shoulder or back issues.
If you perform overhead presses, make sure you’re doing them safely and aren’t inadvertently placing yourself at higher risk of a shoulder or upper back injury. Learn to do them with proper form and don’t use a heavier weight than you can safely manage. Now, let’s look at some ways to lower your risk of injury when you do this exercise.
Get Your Grip Right
Doing an overhead press properly, start with getting your grip right. Gripping properly will lower your risk of shoulder impingement, the most common injury associated with pressing overhead. To do this, grasp the bar in an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your thumbs wrapped around the bar. Your elbows should be close to your body, and you should feel the weight of the bar in your palms. If you are new to the overhead press, start light and focus on proper form. As you become more comfortable with the movement, you can increase the weight.
Avoid Using Momentum When You Press the Bar Up
The next step is to press overhead. One of the best ways to avoid injuries when doing overhead presses is to avoid using momentum. When you press the bar up, use a controlled movement, and don’t let your body swing or jerk the weight up. This will help control the weight and avoid putting too much strain on your shoulders, neck, and elbow joints. Focus on maintaining proper form with each repetition that you do.
Keep Your Back Straight Throughout the Exercise
To do overhead presses safely, keep your back straight. This ensures the weight is evenly distributed across your back and shoulders, and that you don’t put too much strain on any one muscle group. Avoid leaning backward, as many people do. If you’re arching your back, there’s a good chance you’re using too much weight and are placing yourself at risk of a back injury.
Use light weight when you first begin to ensure you’re using proper form and engaging your core muscles properly. As strength increases, add resistance slowly so that there is no chance of muscle strain or injury because of an improper technique.
Engage Your Core
For added stability and to lower the risk of injury, keep your core engaged. This means contracting your abdominal muscles and glutes while also keeping your chest lifted and shoulders back (keeps the shoulder joint stable). To do this, visualize drawing your belly button up and inward toward your spine and increasing core tension. Engaging your core will help to stabilize your spine and pelvis and protect your lower back from strain.
Work on Mobility
If you find overhead presses to be challenging, you may not have the mobility in your spine and shoulders to do the movement correctly. One way to improve shoulder mobility and flexibility is to add overhead shoulder stretches to your routine.
To do this stretch, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise your arms overhead. Bend your elbows and bring your palms together. Reach up as high as you can. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. You can also do this stretch with your arms in different positions, such as out to the sides or behind your head.
Another way to improve shoulder mobility is to do a pec stretch. To do this stretch, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on a wall at about chest level. Step forward with one foot and lean your body forward until you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Doing these stretches regularly will help improve your shoulder mobility.
Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff Muscles
Strong rotator cuff muscles also make overhead presses a safer exercise. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that attach the shoulder blade to the upper arm bone. These muscles work together to lift the arm and keep it stable in the socket.
Overhead presses are an effective exercise for building strength in the shoulders and upper body. However, they can be dangerous if the rotator cuff muscles are not strong enough to support the weight of the barbell. Therefore. it is so important to build up the rotator cuff muscles before attempting this exercise. Strong rotator cuff muscles will make the exercise safer and reduce the risk of injury.
Conclusion
Keeping these tips in mind and ensuring you use good form will lower your risk of injury when you do this effective but challenging exercise for your upper body. If overhead presses hurt your shoulders or upper back, the incline barbell bench press is a safer substitute. They’re a more chest-focused exercise than overhead presses but they also work your shoulders. If you do any shoulder exercise, let pain be your guide. If something hurts, stop.
References:
- Saeterbakken AH, Fimland MS. Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jul;27(7):1824-31. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318276b873. PMID: 23096062.
- Luczak J, Bosak A, Riemann BL. Shoulder Muscle Activation of Novice and Resistance Trained Women during Variations of Dumbbell Press Exercises. J Sports Med (Hindawi Publ Corp). 2013;2013:612650. doi:10.1155/2013/612650.
- Asker M, Brooke HL, Waldén M, Tranaeus U, Johansson F, Skillgate E, Holm LW. Risk factors for, and prevention of, shoulder injuries in overhead sports: a systematic review with best-evidence synthesis. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Oct;52(20):1312-1319. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-098254. Epub 2018 Mar 26. PMID: 29581141.
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