How to Do a Strict Press With Perfect Form

The strict press, also known as the shoulder press or the overhead press, is a compound exercise that works muscle groups throughout your upper body and lower body. Perform strict presses by standing with your feet hip-width apart in front of a weighted barbell. Unrack the barbell from a front rack position and hold it on your upper chest and front shoulders with your elbows slightly in front of the bar. Lift the bar overhead and slowly lower it again. Repeat this movement for the desired amount of repetitions. For the strict press, begin by using a weight that you can control for 2–3 sets of 3–8 repetitions. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions. 1. Grab a barbell with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and with your palms facing forward. Hold the barbell on your upper chest and front shoulders. 2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your weight evenly distributed along the length of your feet. Grip the floor with your feet to create a stable foot position. 3. Create tension throughout your body by engaging your core and squeezing your quads and glutes. Your ribs should be down and your pelvis should be slightly tucked. 4. Lift your chest without extending your spine and push your head back slightly to create room for the bar path. Your chin should remain tucked as if you were holding an egg under your chin. 5. Rotate your shoulders outward so that your elbows are pointed straight down. The barbell should rest in the heels of your palms, and your palms should be in line with your elbows. 6. Initiate the upward movement by straightening your elbows and pushing the barbell toward the ceiling while maintaining a neutral spine. Continue to push the barbell overhead until your arms are long with a slight bend in your elbows. The barbell should be slightly behind your ears, with your head pushed forward to a neutral position. 7. Your shoulders and upper back should support the barbell in the overhead position, and your shoulder blades should move naturally as your arms move away from your body. 8. Pause for a second at the top of the movement. 9. Slowly pull the barbell down by bending your elbows and pulling with your lats until the barbell is back in the starting position. The strict press and the push press both activate many of the same muscle groups, but these exercises use different lower body movement patterns. - __Strict press__: Perform strict presses by standing with your feet hip-width apart in front of a weighted barbell. Hold the barbell on your upper chest and front shoulders with your elbows slightly in front of the bar, and lift the bar overhead and slowly lower it again. - __Push press__: Perform push presses by bending your knees slightly and using momentum to lift the weight overhead. With proper form, the push press can improve your performance during other weightlifting exercises that use lower body movement, such as [front squats](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/front-squat-guide) and thrusters. Including strict presses in your bodybuilding routine can have several benefits. 1. __Strict presses are a full-body workout__. The strict press activates muscles across your body including your delts, glutes, and lower back muscles. 2. __Strict presses increase upper-body strength__. With proper overhead pressing movements, this weightlifting exercise can build muscle in your upper body—specifically your anterior deltoids, pecs, triceps, and trapezius muscle. 3. __Strict presses improve core strength and stabilization__. The strict press activates your core muscles as stabilizers during the full range of motion. 4. __Strict presses help with other compound exercises__. The strict press can improve your performance during other weightlifting exercises like the [bench press](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bench-press-exercise-guide), [deadlift](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deadlift-guide), and push-up. If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort. To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery. Throw on some athleisure, fire up a [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com), and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and *GQ* fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time. When it comes to foundational lifting exercises, the strict press is one of the best options to include in your strength-training program.