The barbell push press is a dynamic lift that can greatly improve athletic performance in certain skill areas.  Learn about those areas and how to do the lift below.

Primary muscles worked:  Shoulders

Synergist Muscles:  Legs, Traps, and Triceps

Mechanics:  Compound

Equipment:  Barbell

How to perform the exercise:  The barbell push press is performed by the athlete in the following steps. Step one: the athlete grabs a barbell with an overhand grip and either (a)power clean the weight to the top position or (b)grab the barbell from a weight rack adjusted to the athlete's height. Step two: the athlete keeps the weight close to the collar bone, in the front; the arms and elbows should be tight to the body and underneath the bar. Step three: the athlete will begin the pre-push stage, in this stage the athlete should peform a one-quarter squat. Once this position is reached, step four will begin. Step four is the actual push portion of the lift. In this stage, the athlete should squat back up in a forceful manner. At the same time as this, the athlete should begin pressing the weight up, utilizing the strength in the shoulders and the momentum that the leg push has generated. Step five: the athlete should either catch or continue pushing up on the weight until the arms reach almost full extension. This concludes the actual force production part of the barbell push press; however, the return to starting position is also important. During this phase, the athlete will resist the weight down to safely return the bar to starting position. This is an important part as the shoulder muscles work eccentrically to slow the bars descent. This is important as the weight used in the push press is typically more than that which the shoulders can handle alone, primarily due to involvement of leg strength.

Spotting the exercise:  The barbell push press is an explosive lift that requires the spotter to stand clear of the lifting area. The spotter should be present in case of a worst case scenario. The athlete should be taught the following two methods to prevent injury during the lift. One, if the athlete loses the weight backward, then the athlete should jump forward and let the weight pass overhead. If the athlete can not control the weight and it is in front of the athlete, the athlete should let the weight go and drop forward. Again, the barbell push press is an advanced lift, and the athlete should have significant weightlifting experience and technique training before utilizing heavily weighted push presses.

Sport specific 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.