Shoulders
Push Press
An overhead press with a quick dip and drive from your legs. Your legs get the dumbbells moving, so you can handle more weight than a strict press and train power from the ground up.
- Works
- Front shoulders, triceps, quads, glutes, core
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Medium
How to do it
- 1Stand with your feet hip width apart. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulders, elbows under your wrists.
- 2Keeping your chest tall and heels down, dip a few inches by bending your knees.
- 3Drive hard through your legs and use that push to press the dumbbells straight overhead.
- 4Lower them back to your shoulders with control, softening your knees as they land.
Cues
- Dip slightly, then drive through your legs.
- Heels stay down through the dip.
- Finish with your arms by your ears, ribs down.
Common mistakes
- Dipping too deep. It's not a squat. A few inches is all you need.
- Pressing too early. Let your legs start the weight moving, then finish it with your arms.
- Leaning back at the top. Squeeze your glutes, keep your ribs down and finish with the dumbbells over your head.
Easier
Go lighter and pause for a beat at the bottom of the dip, so you learn the timing.
Harder
Go a little heavier, or take 3 seconds to lower the dumbbells after each press.
Try it: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
What's the difference between a push press and a shoulder press?
In a shoulder press your legs stay still and your shoulders do all the work. In a push press you dip and drive with your legs first, so you can move more weight and train power.
