You Probably Shouldn’t be Overhead Pressing…

Super Strong…but serious Lumbar Compensation here.

I allow only about 10% of my clients to overhead press, and even then it’s limited.

That means 90% are foreboden from ever putting a weight over their head.

Jim Wendler and Mark Rippetoe be damned.

Fact is the vast, vast, vast majority of people I’ve trained should NOT overhead press for one or many of a variety of reasons:

1. Lack of subacromial space.
2. Poor humeral/ scapular rhythm (scapular depression).
3. Poor Thoracic extension.

In my experience most people (Not ALL, jackass) just can’t overhead press correctly without grinding tissues down and creating discomfort or pain in the shoulder.

That said, there are several pressing variations that are approved for most people.

Half Kneeling Corner Press:

Virtually everyone can do this….

How to do it:

Jam a barbell into the corner of a wall or rack, take a half-kneeling stance and press.

Key Points:

• Stay, “Tall and skinny without sucking in”.
• Dig the back toes into the ground.
• Squeeze the glutes, especially the one on the “open”/ pressing side.
• “Brace” the abs.<—–that means tighten, not “suck in”
• NO ROTATION as you press.

Why it Works:

Simple answer: It’s easier on the shoulder.

Instead of pressing directly overhead which can lead to the Humerus (upper arm bone) driving into the Acromion Process, this angle(d) pressing allows for the sub acromial space to be maintained to a greater degree.

Also, in the half kneeling stance it’s easier to maintain a “tall” thoracic extension posture and all but eliminate the leaning back (lumbar extension) that is commonly seen in overhead pressing.

As you improve thoracic extension, ie, you don’t lean back or rotate,  you can progress to a standing position.

Half Kneeling Kettlebell Press:

About 30% can do these…eventually..

How to Do it:

Again, get in a tall-kneeling stance. Begin with the Kettlebell in the “rack” position, fully depress the scapula and press the Kettlebell overhead keeping the elbow as close to the mid-line of the body as possible.

Key Points:

• Stay, “Tall and skinny without sucking in”.
• Dig the back toes into the ground.
• Squeeze the glutes.
• “Brace” the abs.
• No leaning back as you press.

Why it Works:

I don’t know……seriously, I have no clue.

My best guess is that because of where the Kettlebells start, the racked position in front of the shoulder, it’s easier for the user to conceptualize keeping the shoulder-blade down as they press the weight up.

Also, I think there is a possibility that because the weight of the Kettlebell is behind the forearm there is a slight external rotation force that is exerted on the head of the Humerus which helps the rotator cuff to fire and improve the timing and synchronization of the Humeral/ Scapular rhythm. <—–this idea is totally stolen from Mike Boyle, and seems pretty smart to me….

That may or may not be true….I don’t know.

But I do know that some folks can press kettlebells and maintain better scapular depression than with dumbbells or a bar.

Once both of these are mastered from the Tall Kneeling position, that means, pain-free, ribs “tacked” into the abs, abs and glutes turned on, then you can progress both of them to the standing position.

Keep in mind:

NOTHING SHOULD CHANGE!

Once you’ve “earned” the right to do these from a standing position you MUST be mindful of your body positions (joint organization) and not allow for those nasty default patterns to creep back in.