Push Press

How to do the Push Press

1. 1Set a barbell in a rack at upper-chest height. Grip the bar just outside shoulder width with a full grip, wrists stacked over elbows.
2. 2Unrack the bar and step back, feet hip-to-shoulder-width apart with toes turned out slightly. Hold the bar across the front of your shoulders with elbows slightly in front of the bar.
3. 3Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and take a short, controlled dip by bending your knees and hips 2–4 inches — keep your torso upright and heels flat.
4. 4Explosively reverse the dip by driving through your heels, extending your knees and hips to generate upward momentum into the bar.
5. 5As the bar leaves your shoulders, press it vertically overhead in a straight path, pushing your head slightly through the 'window' created by your arms at lockout.
6. 6Lock out your elbows fully at the top with the bar stacked over your mid-foot, arms alongside your ears, and core tight.
7. 7Lower the bar in a controlled manner back to your shoulders, absorbing it with a slight knee bend to protect your joints and prepare for the next rep.
8. 8Complete all reps, then re-rack the bar safely by stepping forward and guiding it back onto the hooks.

Form tips

• Keep your torso perfectly upright during the dip — any forward lean shifts load to your lower back and kills leg-drive efficiency.
• Think of the dip as a trigger, not a squat: 2–4 inches is enough. A deeper dip slows the bar and disrupts timing.
• Actively push your head through between your arms at lockout so the bar ends directly over your base of support, not out in front.
• If lifting near your max, use a spotter standing behind you or perform the lift inside a power rack with safeties set at shoulder height in case you need to bail.
• Use wrist wraps if heavy loads cause wrist discomfort, and keep the bar resting on the heel of your palm — not the fingertips — to maintain a solid rack position.

Common mistakes

• Cutting the dip too deep: Going below 4 inches turns the movement into a push jerk and disrupts the fast stretch-reflex timing, reducing how much power transfers to the bar.
• Leaning back excessively at the top: Hyperextending the lumbar spine to finish the press offloads work from the deltoids and serratus anterior onto passive spinal structures, creating an injury risk.
• Pressing the bar forward instead of straight up: Allowing the bar to drift in front of your face rather than moving in a vertical path increases lever arm length, reducing efficiency and stressing the shoulders.
• Incomplete lockout: Stopping short of full elbow extension forfeits triceps engagement and fails to reinforce proper overhead stability in the shoulders.
• Letting the elbows drop in the rack position: Low elbows tilt the bar forward off the shoulders, making it hard to generate a clean drive and increasing wrist strain during the press.

Frequently asked questions