Barbell Push Press

Barbell Push Press Basics

Primary muscles worked: Shoulders

Synergist Muscles: Legs, Traps, and Triceps

Mechanics: Compound

Equipment: Barbell

How To Perform The Barbell Push Press

Preparation

• First, grab a barbell with an overhand grip do one of the following:
  • Power clean the weight to the top position so that your arms are tight to the side and the barbell is near your collar bone
  • or
  • Grab the barbell from a weight rack adjusted to the the height of your neck. With your hands gripping the bar and elbows locked tight to your sides, step out with the barbell from the weight track.
• Keep the weight close to your collar bone, in the front; your arms and elbows should be tight to the body and underneath the bar.

Counter Movement

• Perform a quick one-quarter to one-third squat by first bending slightly at your knees, hips, and ankles getting your your hips back.
• Then perform a forceful contraction of the quads and glutes and drive your hips forward. This movement should be explosive, almost like your trying to jump off the ground.

Press

• As you are coming up from the counter-movement quarter-squat you will harness that momentum and simultaneously push upward with your arms on the barbell.
• Continue pushing up on the weight until your arms have reached full extension with the barbell above you. You may need to slightly stagger your feet with one foot slightly forward and one foot slightly backward from the initial, level, shoulder-width or wide position.

Return

• Returning the barbell back to the initial position is just as important as the press because it allows you to eccentrically load the shoulders.
• Begin the descent by slowly lowering your arms by bending at your elbows and shoulders.
• Continue lowering the weight until it is back in the starting position.
• Once the barbell is back in the starting position, you may perform another rep, or return the barbell to the rack or ground.

Barbell Push Press Tips

• It is imperative that you treat this as an explosive lift with a counter-movement squat.
• Make sure that the lifting area is clear before performing this lift to ensure that no one is in front of or behind you.
• If you are struggling with the weight and are going to "miss" catching the bar, you should try to throw it forward.
• If you have thrown the bar too high and it is traveling behind you, and the bar is behind your shoulders, it may be safer to release the bar behind you and rush forward.
• Again, the barbell push press is an advanced lift, and you should have significant weightlifting experience and technique training before utilizing heavily weighted push presses. You should be able to perform each of the following lifts with excellent form before attempting the barbell push press: front squat, military press, and calf raise.

Barbell Push Press and Sports Application

The barbell push press is an excellent exercise for developing overall strength and power in the body. The barbell push press will increase coordination of leg to shoulder muscle transference strength to a large degree by teaching the muscles to work in tandem to complete repetitions; however, the lift is explosive and can become uncontrollable in nature. Individuals who have or think the have impaired shoulder function should not attempt the barbell push press. The barbell push press from a sports stand point can be seen in volleyball with setting, a basketball shot, and the shot put in track and field.