Starting doing standing OHP b/c of you Alex & all my presses shot up. Even without bench specialization I’m finally hitting 225 on bench for 3-4 reps. 154ish lbs at 5’6”
@@EquityCall all I’ve ever wanted was to be able to bench 2 plates on each side 😭 . Now trying to get true working sets out of them (6-8 range) & to hit 135 on OHP (can hit 1 or 2 reps) … after that I wouldn’t mind maintaining & then working on my other numbers on the squat, weighted pull-up/dip, etc.
My take is the following: the OHP is the squat of the upper body. A truly “jack of all trades” type of lift. From shoulders to arms and to general core strength and stability, it brings alot to the table. This is my #1 lift. It’s difficult as hell but the benefits make up for it. It is the only lift that I keep in my rotation on a permanent basis. My shoulders feel great.
Yeah I agree. I would say OHP is best the way to build up overall upper body mass. You will get big shoulders which contribute to the v-shape, your triceps will get big which takes up 3/4 of the arm, and develop your yoke (aka upper traps) with added thickness of the upper chest which is the best part of the chest atheistically.
I'd agree that a little bit goes a long way. I've averaged ~4-5 sets a week for the last year. I think for shoulder health some overhead work is absolutely essential. Also, it's fun.
Really? I avoid any overhead work because of shoulder pain I feel during, and some nerve impingement-related pains afterwards. Any recommendations on how I should progress?
@@fahadaltamimi4872 maybe just don't do the movement then. If it hurts then your body is telling you the movement isn't ideal for your structure. Unless it's some other underlying issue (e.g mobility).
@@fahadaltamimi4872 I also get weird pain when my arms are overhead. It has gotten way better for me over time though just by lifting lighter weights for high reps and pushing through a little bit of pain. You could also try rotator cuff exercises.
@@fahadaltamimi4872 I found changing my my elbow path from being very out to the side to being more in front of my body helped limit the shoulder issues OHP would give me
Thanks for the shout out! I live by overheads. Did BTNs for 20 years and mostly seated and they've never let my delts down. I think we tend to worry too much about optimal and forget the simple brutality of this movement pattern.
Most people avoid the OHP just because it's so humbling. I've seen big guys struggling with 135lbs. I can say the OHP rack is always empty at my gym. I do a lot more DB Arnold Presses but when I was on my 5 day split routine it had OHP and I got really strong doing them. You can really feel the gains and pump afterwards
I'd say you're right about that! 135 for proper rep work/form is hard for many big guys. The humbling, strictness factor is what turns many ego lifters off.
In the past year or so I've been to three gyms, and I've seen maybe 3 other people use 1 plate plus on the OHP. You might say I'm training in the wrong gyms, but from experience it is significantly rarer than seeing reps on the corresponding 2/3/4 plate lifts. Getting beyond one plate for a few reps is a serious grind. It's why I had to switch to seated press and focus on incline press for a while, because otherwise I would be breaking the plateaus slower than a snail's pace.
I would have never imagined Alex making a video titled this way 2-3 years ago, it's good how he has evolved his expertise and is now a Master of resistance training science. he has truly broadened his and our vision. Thank you alex.
I love the ohp and there's something really cool about putting weight overhead, but progress is slow it can really wear on you mentally after a while. It's no wonder a lot of guys skip it. I was stalled for so long! Introducing the Z press really helped a lot though
Definitely a punishing lift, particularly after hitting advanced/elite numbers. But that's where smart programming comes into play, as well as using other variations that allow for smoother progression. I've found any seated press with back support to be King for this purpose.
Man if you've got other suggestions I'm all ears. Stuck at 85kg and I wanna reach 90kg eventually but I've been stuck for ages. Don't know jack shit about programming so I've just spammed singles and triples 3x a week which has worked really well up until now. Not keen on bulking since I wanna keep my bodyweight at 80kg
I've been doing the Standing Barbell Overhead Press for 51 years, and I still love it. My best accessory is the Dragon Flag. This gives strength to shut down lumbar layback. Near the top I internally rotate, squeeze up with the traps, and visualize putting the bar over the back of my head. Thanks Alex. PS your channel wears your name well.
The side-delt involvement during vertical presses is really the only reason I keep them in. Horizontal close grip pressing is at least equally effective for the front delt imo.
OHP hits the long head of triceps more though that’s another advantage. Close grip (whatever is closest for you) with a barbell or neutral grip with a dumbbell/swiss bar 👍🏻
@Alex Leonidas But I gotta say I actually recently started doing front raises and I'm surprised that they've actually made a difference, looks like they're not pointless for my case.
I do 4 sets of 8-10 reps for OHP and I was stuck at 70lbs for months. Now I achieved 100lbs for 8-10 reps each set and I was so happy 😀 I just patiently trusted the process
I’m there right now. Been stuck at 70lbs for a while. But, been cutting too, so nutrition may be why. I’m starting to do one arm dumbbell presses and it feels great.
Twice a week, I already do dumbbell incline press + cable lateral raises, I don't really see how I could fit OHP's or if it would provide any specific benefit
I avoided BB OHP because I fell for the notion that they were redundant. But for the last year I’ve been getting strong on BB and DB OHP and I’ve noticed a huge improvement in shoulder growth
Every minute I spend listening to this channel improves my entire fitness journey for life. I hope my financial situation improves so I can be more directly supportive, but in the meantime I definitely love to at least share these videos. Thanks again for all the work you do!
Being doing Seated Anterior Delt Press on my Max Effort Days for a basic 3x8 with Double Progression and I haven't plateaued yet! 2 months going strong 🔥
As I split my chest and shoulders/arms into separate workouts with 2 or 3 days in between them, started increasing volume in shoulders to include 2 sets of OHP, 2 sets BNP, 2 sets of reverse flies, 2 sets of layer raises. Shoulders a tad sore from yesterday!
As soon as you mentioned Steve Shaw 🤘 A long time ago I took his words on ohp's (and rows, all the rows) to heart. I credit my shoulder development to ohp's more than anything.
Since binging my Ohp from 180lbs to 220lbs it’s made my delts massive and now I’ve started callisthenics it’s helping speed up the process for a handstand. Vertical pressing is goated👍
@@liamcoleman1550 I appreciate it man! Got to 155 with linear progression. Then got to 210 with Naturally Enhanced using it as my main press and rotating through variations i was weak at. I then stalled for ages so ran a bench phase (286lbs to 308lbs) and gaining that strength just carried over and got the rest. Also did a lot of weighted dips as a secondary press which definitley helped
I think Bench and OHP do a lot to mutually help each other out as well. If you're moving your OHP up, and you're moving your bench up, they kind of help each other out. Maybe it's just a mental thing of knowing you can push your upper body harder, maybe it's the triceps and shoulders being a little stronger, I don't see gains in one area without seeing gains in the other. I got my OHP up to 200 and my bench up to 300 around the same time, mostly from breaking through a plateau on the bench
There’s something about standing OHP that’s just barbarically raw and I love it. My numbers for it are absolutely terrible but it’s such a good display of strength - I’m also glad your brang up the fact it recruits a lot of side delts, a lot of info on it but not enough people know
I started doing it just because i mostly watch all the Strongmen's UA-cam channels (Shaw, Hall, Obie etc) and you don't do a strongman workout without it.. basically, plus yeah it just looks and feels very impressive to lift something over your head.
After 4 years of lifting and doing all shoulder exercises with OHP as a part of training, I switched my training because of you Alex. I did nothing but OHP thrice a week. 6 months down the line, I have transitioned to L sized tshirt from M sized. The shoulders are popping out at the same weight. I am never going back, not to mention it look manly af to lift some weight above the head. Weirdly enough, my triceps strength is growing in proportional despite me not focusing on them at all; just training as a body part without focus. OHP is perfect, for me, an absolute lift beside squat.
@@ivanmatusic5540 It's proportional; maybe because I row a lot as well (i mostly go for seated wide grip rows) therefore i cannot say my rears are growing because of OHP. But, the main growth is in the lateral delts, atleast for me ( contrary to what other says of ohp hitting front more).
@@naughtiousmaximus7853 Sure, I am still on my OHP spree and commenting here after three months, my opinion is same, it's awesome. The only variation I use is seated OHP once a week. I do OHP thrice a week in which 1 day I do seated and the remaining two days I go for standard standing OHPs. My rep scheme is subjective to my sleep however I follow this after a general warm up - starting from 10 reps in the first set I keep on decreasing 2 reps till my last set where I do 2 reps. I do a push press set of 3 4 reps with 90% of my repmax and immediately move to smith machine for AMRAPS of kneeling OHP (no additional weights on smith rod). I don't use smith machine when I do seated OHP. All this hardly takes 12-15 minutes. It makes my shoulders go numbs and shoulder blades are pumped. I am 78kg and my rep max is 65kg. I am expecting it to touch 70kg in about next 4-5 months.
Once I started incorporating dumbbell shoulder press and barbell OHP as staples into my various push day routines my delts blew up. People around me have started regularly complimenting my shoulder development. OHP and all the other variations are no joke, they really help with everything and noticeably increased the size of my delts within just over a month of making them a staple in my routine.
Your channel is such a knowledge goldmine! I saw some family members over Christmas that I hadn’t seen since 2019…immediately asking me what I was doing for training (I’ve lost 75-80 pounds and put on a decent amount of muscle since then and still grinding!)…such a great feeling. Tonight my wife told me that I’m more buff than most of the military guys in my town (and she candy coats absolutely nothing)….small gains and CONSISTENCY add up! Keep up the great work…this 38 year old fella definitely appreciates it!!! ❤💪🏋️
@@MarcoAshford I’m currently doing a push/pull/legs split. I do a variety of exercises but started incorporating Bulgarian split squats about a month and a half ago…love the way they feel.
I've never agreed or listened when people say OHP only does front delts.....you can literally feel the side delts working when doing them. I mean, why do they get sore then? Glad you are talking about it.
Ive been anecdotally experiencing this myself. Was always weak at side laterals (Im doing 22 lbs per side) but my OHP is at 200 lbs and this year Im confident I will hit 220 lbs. My shoulders have been my most massive looking muscles as well besides not really isolating the side delts that much. Great video showcasing this
Ohp is my favorite press. I know the term is taboo, but I found OHP to be very "functional". Great shoulder mobility and stability really help in day to day life.
OHP just hits too many areas for me to choose not to do it. Upper chest, shoulders, triceps, upper traps, mid and lower traps, and sometimes I even feel it recruiting my lats. Great exercise.
It hitting so many areas is for me a reason NOT to do it. If you’re trying to hit lats do you want the exercises that hits as much biceps, lower back & grip as possible or do you want the exercise where the intended muscle is for sure the limiting factor?
True. Like many, I didn't believe that OHP was necessary because "my front delts would grow anyway", but shortly after doing it my bench got better and I finally got past the shoulder plateau. Interestingly, it also pointed out my rotator cuff weakness, because I hurt my shoulder and couldn't progress. After 1-2 months of weekly physiotherapy I'm back in the ring, hopefully surpassing my earlier OHP PR soon by continuing the exercises my physiotherapist gave me.
With a shoulder impingement I only incline press. Next best thing. My shoulders are growing from lateral raises, rear delt rows, db face pulls, barbell behind raise, and neutral floor press.
Been doing building strength on handstand pushups for the past 6 months, and my side debts have been improving massively. And I haven't touched lateral raises, even for a second
Overhead press (or military press)/ strict press or push presses or behind the neck overhead presses, all are awesome workouts! You want to add more power to some of those lifts make sure to add in the handstand pushups as well (they tend to get overlooked) Nice vid Alex!
behind the neck press are very detrimental to your shoulders. Avoid them at all cost. Strict or push press are far worse than seated dumbell or barbell press because you're not constricted by your core and cheating the weight up with your legs. Please refrain from recommending horribe exercises.
Simple as fuck. Chest - barbell bench, back - barbell row, legs - barbell squat, core and lower back - barbell lift, arms - barbell curls and barbell crushers, shoulders - barbell press. Nothing more like fancy gym devices needed. One bench, one barbell with set of weights, and dips and pull-ups to add to get supreme result. I have in my gym all that fancy mind-bending equipment but I touch only dumbell and barbell and have body 10x times better than those who I usually see seating in equipment avoiding free weight.
I've recently started doing some overhead pressing variations again. I was in a chest specialisation phase for around 6 months and my elbows couldn't recover from going hard on two big lifts (with the volume of chest pressing I was doing). I'm adding it back in now and I'm currently trying to find the variation that works best for me. Here's my thoughts so far, I'd be glad for anyone's input: -Classic standing OHP: I'm strongest at this. In years past I've added maybe 40lbs to this and my shoulders didn't grow much. In order to actually feel my shoulders working on this I have to do so many reps that it defeats the purpose of having it as the main movement. Seated BB OHP: I like this method a lot, but I'm not sure it'll like me. I had a mild AC sprain a while back and the area still seems a bit unstable. I can get such a deep stretch on this movement that I'm not sure it's wise to prioritise right now (although I will come back to it when everything feels good). Seated DB OHP: I like this a lot at well. I feel the muscles working nicely and it doesn't feel perilous to go heavy. I currently have a work capacity issue on this lift (as in, sets will go 10, 6, 5) but that's not a bad thing. The nature of dumbells lends itself to double progression so it should stop me getting ahead of myself with weight progression. Nautilus machine: Honestly the best MMC of any vertical press. My shoulders are screaming with glee after each set. Issue is, I only did it once at the end of a workout to experiment. I was already very fatigued, but I managed 3/4 the stack for 8 reps, so maybe not the best in terms of long term weight progression (there's only so long we can milk out it "feeling great").
Your 100% right. I never did barbell OHP I started 14weeks ago and my shoulders are insane no shit. When I started couldn’t do 135 for reps. Now 3 x10 and hit a 200lb PB And the amount of guy’s and girls who come up to me and say your shoulders are unreal. I also do front raises,side raises and rear delts. Just do them people. 💪🏼💪🏼
The OHP is literally just lifting something heavy up over your head. Lifting heavy shit over you head is a _definitive_ feat of strength (in humans). So it's not just that OHP _leads_ to strength; the OHP *IS* strength. If your press is weak, you are weak. Forget muscle groups. Focussing on muscle groups is a path to body dysmorphia, vanity and other forms of girliness.
I've been working out for 6 months and have always done OHP and my shoulders grew with my weight on the press. Eventually started lateral raises but I credit all my front and side delt gains to OHP. It definitely grew my side delts, although I didn't do much for rear delts so you're going to need another exercise for that.
I love how a lot of people are mesmerized by the delts of gymnasts and calisthenics athletes, yet the don’t seem to understand that OH movements are the bread and butter in the gym aswell😅
Gymnasts especially. They just have insane shoulder strength. Free HSPUs are vastly superior to pushups. It is the same analogy with barbells in strength training. Vertical pressing is the superior one and should be the priority as it used to be before the demise of the Press as a contested lift in weightlifting in 1972 . It is an overall body strength builder. Most elite gymnasts can strict press their BW the very first time with a barbell with no previous training at all.
2-years ago Alex talked about overexpressing and I've been doing that ever since I've gotten a lot of gains and that's why I listen to Alex and don't listen to other fake fitnes influencers and I get jacked af
Yeah I started bringing them back in my training a couple months ago and I remember years back(like 6) I had discomfort doing half reps with 175lbs behind the head and just recently I hit 230 from the shoulders-no pain. Definitely a great exercise.
My shoulder workout is OHP 4x6-8 and BTN press 4x6-8. Been doing this for months and my shoulder definietly got wider and bigger. Traps too. I'm using a wider grip tho, feeling it more in the side delts and that is all that matters.
I've never really put emphasis on my overhead press because I used to spend a lot of time doing pushps and dips and felt like my front delts didnt need added stimulus. As a result, I can barely do 3 sets of 10 at 20kg which is disappointing. Have started bringing these into my routines and already feel my shoulders swelling up! Progress is slower than I expected in terms of going up in weight but im just glad im getting some overhead stimulus now.
Great video. My shoulders look great after following your advice a while ago. I do two push days a week and both of those start with an overhead press (alternating seated barbell and standing dumbbells) and chest / horizontal is always second (I care more about shoulders than chest). Thanks again for the education
Stating absolute facts Alex! Specializing in seated BB OHP for 6 months got my paused 1RM on the bench from 286lbs to 308lbs. Can't imagine what it would be if I would properly re-learn the bench movement!
Ohp simply feels so badass performing and the pump is surreal for me. Haven't done it lately tho (focused on the seated anterior delt press for now). Gotta give them a try again
This is true. My side delts grew a lot from just overhead pressing. At one point I stopped doing lateral raises and I didn't do them for a long time, but I did a lot of OHP. When I started doing lateral raises again, I did them with twice as much weight as I used to. So they obviously grew and got stronger from the OHP.
I thought about that too. If OHP doesn't stimulate side delts then why do people who stop doing lateral raises only do OHP, only to come back doing more weight on lateral raises?
On the opposite side of the coin, i stopped doing all variations of ohp (db, machine, barbell) and replaced it with heavy wide grip upright rows, mostly with ropes and dbs, and all 3 heads of my delts along with my traps are now the biggest they ever been.
I love both though if it's larger side delts someone is after specifically I'd personally recommend upright rows over the overhead press. OHP primarily loads the front delts and triceps with little activation of the side delts until the top half of the movement, and even then it remains too eclipsed by the front delts for a meaningful stimulus. Upright rows are all side delt with zero front delt if you do them right, plus some killer trap work if you shrug at the top (which I recommend to avoid potential impingement issues). Do them in the 8-12 rep range 3x week and you will absolutely blow your shoulders UP. Obvioulsy do what works for you, and you can do both if your shoulders can handle it though have found it extremely hard to tolerate personally. But after doing OHP for years and swapping them out in favor of barbell upright rows a month or so ago my shoulders have never felt fuller and happier.
You're right about that! Comparable tris to benching and the upper chest stimulation is legit, especially a lower bench angle (still a vertical press). 10,10,8 with 165lbs OHP is strong AF bro.
The overhead press is king. It helps build triceps and brick like abs that pop even without flexing. Just look at all the worlds strongest men. That is how most got abs protruding from 25-35 percent body fat.
Bro been doing ohp since your Yoked videos and my shoulders are my best part...did facepulls till you discovered the Expander and it did wonders for RDs. I stick mostly to db Seated ohp though
The idea of only doing lateral and rear delt work for shoulders has always been weird to me. How are you meant to progressively overload on lateral raises and facepulls for 10+ years 😂
I really love OHP and am focusing on it for the next few months in hope of hitting 200lbs, strict. Recently hit 180x1 (at 5'6", 160lbs), so it's in sight, but gonna take some work to close the gap. This video has got me even more hyped!
I injured my lower back doing standing ohp. It was the most painful thing, even laying in bed hurt as gravity was pushing down on the pain. After I recovered I am now sticking to seated ohp and I have seen some nice gains with no pain.
@@powerup9035 I had that same injury from ohp. I discontinued it ever since now doing seated ohp. You’ll recover just gotta take it easy for the time being
Your OG subscriber here and still obsessed with OHP. I'm receiving compliments from my coworkers on how well my triceps are developed. I do zero benching, only vertical presses and some rear delts work. Since I'm obsessed with shoulders and want them to get as big as possible I think I'll never be benching again, I truly believe that shoulders play the biggest part on how aesthetic someone looks and are also a true indicator of someone's strength. When I was a kid I was watching WWF every Friday and my favorite fighter was Ultimate Warrior. He was my favorite wrestler because he had the best shoulders of them all, to me he looked like a superhero. He'd pick his opponent in the air and throw him like a doll over the ring. Obviously he was juicing out of his mind, but so did everyone else.
I couldn't live without it. Great compound exercise, great for overall strength and great for the delts. From my experience anyway. I have disproportionately large delts too so I trust it
You’re awesome Alex I have so much respect for you man. Your video about torso dominance really helped me, you’ve inspired me to get my weighted pull ups up to about 60lbs for 5 reps, at bw of 190lbs and 6’2”, however my arms have been lagging behind, and I’ve been wondering why, and thought that my way to pull ups, where is gotten my arms bigger, but the information that you’ve given on prioritizing arms has been very helpful, you’re very respectable, reputable, influencer in the natty community, and I have so much respect for you man💪🏾💛
I agree. You most certainly need to do arm specific training if you want them to grow. Some people might get away with doing compounds only but not everyone and certainly not me.
Dumbbell shoulder press/ military press is fun imo. Add some lateral raises, shrugs, and rear delts flys and that’s all I need. Don’t really need front raises imo
I actually stopped flat benching completely because they wrecked my shoulders, whereas I've changed my main pressing exercise to OHP because I never have problems with it. Shoulders looking bigger, my shoulders feel healthier than ever, better stimulus to fatigue, etc. I basically never do flat bench at all anymore, and only do a few sets of incline bench every once in a while, chest doesn't seem to have gotten much smaller yet. But even so, the few times I've sat on a flat bench my numbers have only gone up, especially since I was already a closer grip bencher. Total agreement that more should prioritize the OHP.
won't be true for seated variations with back on a bench though I'd imagine. bench gets in the way of scaps movement and the lower traps don't really work unless you go right over head imo.
@@patrickjulius7352 maybe because of the angle of the seat to some extent, but if the scapula didn’t rotate you straight up wouldn’t be be able to lock out or get your arms much above parallel. It’s the scapula rotation that creates that vertical movement
I did all types of isolations for my shoulders and barely made progress, switched to OHP and BTN Press and never looked back. I now only do isolations for my rear delt and general rotator cuff health. Had great growth in my shoulders doing that and very good carryover to my other presses.
I prefer the OHP over the bench press, and prioritise the former in training. My current OHP 1 rep max is about 80 kg, while my bench 1 rep max is 110 kg. OHP to bench ratio is 73%. I agree with you that most guys don't do the barbell standing OHP. I'm only one of the small handful in my local gym who does it. Definitely stands out from the crowd where almost all other guys do the seated dumbbells shoulder press variation instead.
I love the standing barbell overhead press because it feels natural and it works your core as well. I prefer the barbell because it also works the tricep more than the dumbbell version
Hi Alex, could I ask your thoughts on the Clean and press vs the press where the bar is taken from the rack? Or the clean in general? My personal goals this year are to clean and strict press bodyweight and unlocking the one arm push up, so all OHP content is appericated lol!
Not a fan of the clean and press, I don't see any advantages for upper body hypertrophy. But if you like it, go right ahead. I would rather stand or sit down with back support.
I've always loved the OHP more than bench which makes no sense because I have bad pressing leverages (5'11 with a 6'2 wingspan) . Last year during my bulk I seen one of your other OHP videos where you said to make it a primary lift ,so I solely focused on OHP and my bench shot up. My goal was to OHP my body weight bulked (180lbs) but I came short, and only got to 170 but my shoulders grew so much and I definitely owe it to you.
3:46 how much years has alberts train on the left picture? And how mich years does it takes him from left to right? He was already big but got even bigger and i would estimated he already training for minimum a decate. Even his calves got bigger how did he do this? I have never seen anybody natty who was able to do this after 10 years.
seated OHP with back support is what im doing right now and it feels right. crank the adjustable bench to vertical and get up against it. you need to make sure not to cheat and put your butt out to make it an incline. you dont need a lot of weight.
That's a tough exercise, personally I prefer one slot down but either way they're still strict for delts and provide max force output. Seated pressing is the way for hypertrophy.
Standing shoulder overhead press grew my side delts and tricep like no other. I used do alot of side delts isolation exercises but standing barbell overhead press grew my side delts more than isolation exercises
Yes I had one of those reps today haha. OHP is intimidating. You really have to commit. Feels as hard as a max deadlift imo and the lockout can take even longer.
Perfect timing! Do you think Z presses are overall better to overcome overhead press plateaus or would the seated variation be better? Edit: to clarify I’m at 135 for 8 reps right now on standing barbell OHP
Definitely the seated overhead press with back support, and Big Z used to do this in the Smith Machine. More stability = more force output and the carryover of the AD press is high.
Hearing Alex talk about how the overhead press works the side delts made me happy beyond belief
I'm happy to hear that Nathan!! Keep loving the OHP
Same !!
Thanks for the mention. OHPs are easily in my top 5 favorite lifts.
Starting doing standing OHP b/c of you Alex & all my presses shot up. Even without bench specialization I’m finally hitting 225 on bench for 3-4 reps. 154ish lbs at 5’6”
HELL YEAH MAN, STRENGTH IS STRENGTH!!
Keep on going bro
That's a very impressive bench for your weight.
@@EquityCall all I’ve ever wanted was to be able to bench 2 plates on each side 😭 . Now trying to get true working sets out of them (6-8 range) & to hit 135 on OHP (can hit 1 or 2 reps) … after that I wouldn’t mind maintaining & then working on my other numbers on the squat, weighted pull-up/dip, etc.
@@Limbaugh_ no doubt! My goal weight for myself has always been 165 lbs!
My take is the following: the OHP is the squat of the upper body.
A truly “jack of all trades” type of lift.
From shoulders to arms and to general core strength and stability, it brings alot to the table.
This is my #1 lift. It’s difficult as hell but the benefits make up for it.
It is the only lift that I keep in my rotation on a permanent basis. My shoulders feel great.
On top of all that, it’s just so fun to do. It’s easily my favorite lift in my program
So much truth here!
More like the deadlift of the upper body
Yeah I agree. I would say OHP is best the way to build up overall upper body mass. You will get big shoulders which contribute to the v-shape, your triceps will get big which takes up 3/4 of the arm, and develop your yoke (aka upper traps) with added thickness of the upper chest which is the best part of the chest atheistically.
Overhead squat exists
I'd agree that a little bit goes a long way. I've averaged ~4-5 sets a week for the last year. I think for shoulder health some overhead work is absolutely essential.
Also, it's fun.
The geoff himself 💪💪
Really? I avoid any overhead work because of shoulder pain I feel during, and some nerve impingement-related pains afterwards.
Any recommendations on how I should progress?
@@fahadaltamimi4872 maybe just don't do the movement then. If it hurts then your body is telling you the movement isn't ideal for your structure. Unless it's some other underlying issue (e.g mobility).
@@fahadaltamimi4872 I also get weird pain when my arms are overhead. It has gotten way better for me over time though just by lifting lighter weights for high reps and pushing through a little bit of pain. You could also try rotator cuff exercises.
@@fahadaltamimi4872 I found changing my my elbow path from being very out to the side to being more in front of my body helped limit the shoulder issues OHP would give me
Thanks for the shout out! I live by overheads. Did BTNs for 20 years and mostly seated and they've never let my delts down. I think we tend to worry too much about optimal and forget the simple brutality of this movement pattern.
Most people avoid the OHP just because it's so humbling. I've seen big guys struggling with 135lbs. I can say the OHP rack is always empty at my gym. I do a lot more DB Arnold Presses but when I was on my 5 day split routine it had OHP and I got really strong doing them. You can really feel the gains and pump afterwards
I'd say you're right about that! 135 for proper rep work/form is hard for many big guys. The humbling, strictness factor is what turns many ego lifters off.
In the past year or so I've been to three gyms, and I've seen maybe 3 other people use 1 plate plus on the OHP. You might say I'm training in the wrong gyms, but from experience it is significantly rarer than seeing reps on the corresponding 2/3/4 plate lifts.
Getting beyond one plate for a few reps is a serious grind. It's why I had to switch to seated press and focus on incline press for a while, because otherwise I would be breaking the plateaus slower than a snail's pace.
@@AlexLeonidas Been at it for 2 years, still barely breaking the 185 mark. My shoulders were already seen as too large at my first show, lol.
That's so funny! I just realised I've rarely seen anyone in the gym doing OHP. Never thought about that before.
I avoid it because it hurts my shoulder.
I would have never imagined Alex making a video titled this way 2-3 years ago, it's good how he has evolved his expertise and is now a Master of resistance training science. he has truly broadened his and our vision. Thank you alex.
2-3 years ago he would be making a rack pull video for the 20th time lol.
Preciate that, though my conclusions support my basic thoughts just with some few modifications.
Evolving is necessary in this iron game!
@@burritodog3634 Naaah more like 4-5 years ago
I love the ohp and there's something really cool about putting weight overhead, but progress is slow it can really wear on you mentally after a while. It's no wonder a lot of guys skip it. I was stalled for so long! Introducing the Z press really helped a lot though
Definitely a punishing lift, particularly after hitting advanced/elite numbers. But that's where smart programming comes into play, as well as using other variations that allow for smoother progression. I've found any seated press with back support to be King for this purpose.
@@AlexLeonidas I believe it! I need to get myself an adjustable bench so I can do these
It’s so mentally draining!!
Man if you've got other suggestions I'm all ears. Stuck at 85kg and I wanna reach 90kg eventually but I've been stuck for ages. Don't know jack shit about programming so I've just spammed singles and triples 3x a week which has worked really well up until now. Not keen on bulking since I wanna keep my bodyweight at 80kg
@@johnkyle2205 man that's strong! If you have access to an axle bar and/or a swiss bar getting better at those ohp variations will probably help
Seated/Standing OHP is a chad lift. One of my favorite lifts and attribute it to my shoulder gains
Bro you are looking lean. The cut is definitely paying off. Your arms and delts have so much shape and detail to them. Awesome work, man.
Thanks so much man!! I love seeing the bulked gains being revealed, tris and delts really came along 💯
I've been doing the Standing Barbell Overhead Press for 51 years, and I still love it. My best accessory is the Dragon Flag. This gives strength to shut down lumbar layback. Near the top I internally rotate, squeeze up with the traps, and visualize putting the bar over the back of my head. Thanks Alex. PS your channel wears your name well.
51 years of OHP, now that's awesome!
Hey man, here’s to another 51 years of pressing. Longevity at its finest 🥂
I’m glad this channel exists and I hope it continues to inform lifters, novice or elite, for many years to come.
The side-delt involvement during vertical presses is really the only reason I keep them in. Horizontal close grip pressing is at least equally effective for the front delt imo.
This!!
OHP hits the long head of triceps more though that’s another advantage. Close grip (whatever is closest for you) with a barbell or neutral grip with a dumbbell/swiss bar 👍🏻
@KurokamiNajimi yes. That is part why I do them too
The Barbell OHP and Dumbell OHP are the exercises I credit the most for my shoulder development, love em
The two GOATS by far
@Alex Leonidas But I gotta say I actually recently started doing front raises and I'm surprised that they've actually made a difference, looks like they're not pointless for my case.
I do 4 sets of 8-10 reps for OHP and I was stuck at 70lbs for months. Now I achieved 100lbs for 8-10 reps each set and I was so happy 😀 I just patiently trusted the process
I’m there right now. Been stuck at 70lbs for a while. But, been cutting too, so nutrition may be why.
I’m starting to do one arm dumbbell presses and it feels great.
I like doing db ohp
Same. Just hit the 75’s for 6
@@Musclingus I just hit the 76s for 7
Same bruh
I prefer seated dumbell overhead press. Standing ohp takes out of the focus on the anterior delt, and you have to waste effort just to stand.
@@2weakkickflip 77s for 8 here
Twice a week, I already do dumbbell incline press + cable lateral raises, I don't really see how I could fit OHP's or if it would provide any specific benefit
Swap out one of your incline days for shoulder press instead. There you go. Now you have room and your Delts will absolutely benefit from it.
To anyone else wondering similar things, your push should always be chest press + shoulder press.
Example push day:
Incline bench
Overhead press
Pec deck
Lateral raise
Tricep pushdown
Tricep overhead extension
I avoided BB OHP because I fell for the notion that they were redundant. But for the last year I’ve been getting strong on BB and DB OHP and I’ve noticed a huge improvement in shoulder growth
Every minute I spend listening to this channel improves my entire fitness journey for life. I hope my financial situation improves so I can be more directly supportive, but in the meantime I definitely love to at least share these videos. Thanks again for all the work you do!
Being doing Seated Anterior Delt Press on my Max Effort Days for a basic 3x8 with Double Progression and I haven't plateaued yet! 2 months going strong 🔥
Awesome Bryce, looks like you're experiencing the same thing that I did!! Keep it up 🔥
Its the only extra shoulder exercise I do since I have shoulder pain doing lateral raises. But DB OHP is pain free and can see good shoulder growth
As I split my chest and shoulders/arms into separate workouts with 2 or 3 days in between them, started increasing volume in shoulders to include 2 sets of OHP, 2 sets BNP, 2 sets of reverse flies, 2 sets of layer raises. Shoulders a tad sore from yesterday!
As soon as you mentioned Steve Shaw 🤘 A long time ago I took his words on ohp's (and rows, all the rows) to heart. I credit my shoulder development to ohp's more than anything.
Since binging my Ohp from 180lbs to 220lbs it’s made my delts massive and now I’ve started callisthenics it’s helping speed up the process for a handstand. Vertical pressing is goated👍
Some serious strength there mate. How did you make such a big jump? How long did it take?
@@liamcoleman1550 I appreciate it man! Got to 155 with linear progression. Then got to 210 with Naturally Enhanced using it as my main press and rotating through variations i was weak at. I then stalled for ages so ran a bench phase (286lbs to 308lbs) and gaining that strength just carried over and got the rest. Also did a lot of weighted dips as a secondary press which definitley helped
I think Bench and OHP do a lot to mutually help each other out as well. If you're moving your OHP up, and you're moving your bench up, they kind of help each other out. Maybe it's just a mental thing of knowing you can push your upper body harder, maybe it's the triceps and shoulders being a little stronger, I don't see gains in one area without seeing gains in the other. I got my OHP up to 200 and my bench up to 300 around the same time, mostly from breaking through a plateau on the bench
@@CharidemosPapageorgiouthis is literally how to train. Bravo on some good lifts 👏👏👏
It’s funny that you upload this now because last night was the first time I overhead pressed in about 10 months and it felt awesome
There’s something about standing OHP that’s just barbarically raw and I love it. My numbers for it are absolutely terrible but it’s such a good display of strength
- I’m also glad your brang up the fact it recruits a lot of side delts, a lot of info on it but not enough people know
I started doing it just because i mostly watch all the Strongmen's UA-cam channels (Shaw, Hall, Obie etc) and you don't do a strongman workout without it.. basically, plus yeah it just looks and feels very impressive to lift something over your head.
I love Alex, he's the shiz when it comes to good advice on hypertrophy. This channel is an awesome resource, there is some gold here.
After 4 years of lifting and doing all shoulder exercises with OHP as a part of training, I switched my training because of you Alex. I did nothing but OHP thrice a week. 6 months down the line, I have transitioned to L sized tshirt from M sized. The shoulders are popping out at the same weight. I am never going back, not to mention it look manly af to lift some weight above the head. Weirdly enough, my triceps strength is growing in proportional despite me not focusing on them at all; just training as a body part without focus. OHP is perfect, for me, an absolute lift beside squat.
And back deltoid portion?
@@ivanmatusic5540 It's proportional; maybe because I row a lot as well (i mostly go for seated wide grip rows) therefore i cannot say my rears are growing because of OHP. But, the main growth is in the lateral delts, atleast for me ( contrary to what other says of ohp hitting front more).
Can you please tell me your rep schemes and variations you used? I wanna do this.
@@naughtiousmaximus7853 Sure, I am still on my OHP spree and commenting here after three months, my opinion is same, it's awesome. The only variation I use is seated OHP once a week. I do OHP thrice a week in which 1 day I do seated and the remaining two days I go for standard standing OHPs. My rep scheme is subjective to my sleep however I follow this after a general warm up - starting from 10 reps in the first set I keep on decreasing 2 reps till my last set where I do 2 reps. I do a push press set of 3 4 reps with 90% of my repmax and immediately move to smith machine for AMRAPS of kneeling OHP (no additional weights on smith rod). I don't use smith machine when I do seated OHP. All this hardly takes 12-15 minutes. It makes my shoulders go numbs and shoulder blades are pumped. I am 78kg and my rep max is 65kg. I am expecting it to touch 70kg in about next 4-5 months.
Once I started incorporating dumbbell shoulder press and barbell OHP as staples into my various push day routines my delts blew up. People around me have started regularly complimenting my shoulder development. OHP and all the other variations are no joke, they really help with everything and noticeably increased the size of my delts within just over a month of making them a staple in my routine.
you do a dumbell and a barbell shoulder press ? why ? i was told to just to a dumbell shoulder press.
@@mcpartridgeboyno problem with doing them both
@@thatoneguy1741 time.
Your channel is such a knowledge goldmine! I saw some family members over Christmas that I hadn’t seen since 2019…immediately asking me what I was doing for training (I’ve lost 75-80 pounds and put on a decent amount of muscle since then and still grinding!)…such a great feeling. Tonight my wife told me that I’m more buff than most of the military guys in my town (and she candy coats absolutely nothing)….small gains and CONSISTENCY add up! Keep up the great work…this 38 year old fella definitely appreciates it!!! ❤💪🏋️
I’m 34. What’s your routine? And which exercise is the most effective for you?
@@MarcoAshford I’m currently doing a push/pull/legs split. I do a variety of exercises but started incorporating Bulgarian split squats about a month and a half ago…love the way they feel.
Alex’s strict press is so strong he produces a spirit bomb every time.
I've never agreed or listened when people say OHP only does front delts.....you can literally feel the side delts working when doing them. I mean, why do they get sore then? Glad you are talking about it.
Standing BB OHP and weighted dips helped me break my 275lb bench plateau. Definitely recommend doing them if you want to blow up your bench.
This has confirmed my thoughts on side delt activation. Great vid alex
Ive been anecdotally experiencing this myself. Was always weak at side laterals (Im doing 22 lbs per side) but my OHP is at 200 lbs and this year Im confident I will hit 220 lbs. My shoulders have been my most massive looking muscles as well besides not really isolating the side delts that much. Great video showcasing this
Ohp is my favorite press. I know the term is taboo, but I found OHP to be very "functional". Great shoulder mobility and stability really help in day to day life.
OHP just hits too many areas for me to choose not to do it. Upper chest, shoulders, triceps, upper traps, mid and lower traps, and sometimes I even feel it recruiting my lats. Great exercise.
It hitting so many areas is for me a reason NOT to do it. If you’re trying to hit lats do you want the exercises that hits as much biceps, lower back & grip as possible or do you want the exercise where the intended muscle is for sure the limiting factor?
@@Djdkdkdndkzn1 I’m still doing other exercises for lats
For me I feel it the most on left side of neck on the more intense reps, some kind of injury I guess. Does OHP increase neck size ?
@@tvhead7074
I noticed some kinda soreness in Lats...
When you lower bar slowly while arching Back, your Lats stabilize and support the weight...
Also abs if youre doing it standing
I love behind neck press, I can do it pretty wide without any shoulder issues for years and I always feel side delts a lot.
True. Like many, I didn't believe that OHP was necessary because "my front delts would grow anyway", but shortly after doing it my bench got better and I finally got past the shoulder plateau. Interestingly, it also pointed out my rotator cuff weakness, because I hurt my shoulder and couldn't progress. After 1-2 months of weekly physiotherapy I'm back in the ring, hopefully surpassing my earlier OHP PR soon by continuing the exercises my physiotherapist gave me.
I've been doing heavy OHP and benching big weight for over 28 years. I bench with a close grip and small arch. My shoulders feel great.
With a shoulder impingement I only incline press. Next best thing.
My shoulders are growing from lateral raises, rear delt rows, db face pulls, barbell behind raise, and neutral floor press.
Been doing building strength on handstand pushups for the past 6 months, and my side debts have been improving massively. And I haven't touched lateral raises, even for a second
Overhead press (or military press)/ strict press or push presses or behind the neck overhead presses, all are awesome workouts! You want to add more power to some of those lifts make sure to add in the handstand pushups as well (they tend to get overlooked) Nice vid Alex!
Bru, those sets of 190lb weighted dips are sick.
Yo, how are you so f'n strong at such a light bodyweight? 240 lb weighted dip and 345 bench? wtf
@@jdog2984 lol, Hard WORK!
behind the neck press are very detrimental to your shoulders. Avoid them at all cost. Strict or push press are far worse than seated dumbell or barbell press because you're not constricted by your core and cheating the weight up with your legs. Please refrain from recommending horribe exercises.
Simple as fuck. Chest - barbell bench, back - barbell row, legs - barbell squat, core and lower back - barbell lift, arms - barbell curls and barbell crushers, shoulders - barbell press. Nothing more like fancy gym devices needed. One bench, one barbell with set of weights, and dips and pull-ups to add to get supreme result. I have in my gym all that fancy mind-bending equipment but I touch only dumbell and barbell and have body 10x times better than those who I usually see seating in equipment avoiding free weight.
You rock brother!!!! The basics always work, and I feel what you mean about the average gym lifter looking like garbage.
I've recently started doing some overhead pressing variations again. I was in a chest specialisation phase for around 6 months and my elbows couldn't recover from going hard on two big lifts (with the volume of chest pressing I was doing).
I'm adding it back in now and I'm currently trying to find the variation that works best for me. Here's my thoughts so far, I'd be glad for anyone's input:
-Classic standing OHP: I'm strongest at this. In years past I've added maybe 40lbs to this and my shoulders didn't grow much. In order to actually feel my shoulders working on this I have to do so many reps that it defeats the purpose of having it as the main movement.
Seated BB OHP: I like this method a lot, but I'm not sure it'll like me. I had a mild AC sprain a while back and the area still seems a bit unstable. I can get such a deep stretch on this movement that I'm not sure it's wise to prioritise right now (although I will come back to it when everything feels good).
Seated DB OHP: I like this a lot at well. I feel the muscles working nicely and it doesn't feel perilous to go heavy. I currently have a work capacity issue on this lift (as in, sets will go 10, 6, 5) but that's not a bad thing. The nature of dumbells lends itself to double progression so it should stop me getting ahead of myself with weight progression.
Nautilus machine: Honestly the best MMC of any vertical press. My shoulders are screaming with glee after each set. Issue is, I only did it once at the end of a workout to experiment. I was already very fatigued, but I managed 3/4 the stack for 8 reps, so maybe not the best in terms of long term weight progression (there's only so long we can milk out it "feeling great").
He’s like “the proof is in the pudding-and I AM THAT PUDDING Booooooy!” 😂
huh, I knew, because you can see the middle delt being activated, but didn't think it was almost as high as the front delt! That's awesome!
Your 100% right. I never did barbell OHP I started 14weeks ago and my shoulders are insane no shit. When I started couldn’t do 135 for reps. Now 3 x10 and hit a 200lb PB And the amount of guy’s and girls who come up to me and say your shoulders are unreal. I also do front raises,side raises and rear delts. Just do them people. 💪🏼💪🏼
Now that you mention it, I do realise that my lateral raise strength decreases whenever I take ohp out of my block. Great vid man, you opened my eyes
The OHP is literally just lifting something heavy up over your head. Lifting heavy shit over you head is a _definitive_ feat of strength (in humans). So it's not just that OHP _leads_ to strength; the OHP *IS* strength. If your press is weak, you are weak. Forget muscle groups. Focussing on muscle groups is a path to body dysmorphia, vanity and other forms of girliness.
great yappanese
I've been working out for 6 months and have always done OHP and my shoulders grew with my weight on the press. Eventually started lateral raises but I credit all my front and side delt gains to OHP. It definitely grew my side delts, although I didn't do much for rear delts so you're going to need another exercise for that.
Loved your video on banded pull-ups and finally started doing them.
Glad you gave them another shot! We're never too good to not use bands on pullups, even I use them on chest to bar now.
I started training OHP last summer and my shoulders feel so much stronger. It's a brutally effective movement for shoulders!
I love how a lot of people are
mesmerized by the delts of gymnasts and calisthenics athletes, yet the don’t seem to understand that OH movements
are the bread and butter in the gym
aswell😅
Gymnasts especially. They just have insane shoulder strength. Free HSPUs are vastly superior to pushups. It is the same analogy with barbells in strength training. Vertical pressing is the superior one and should be the priority as it used to be before the demise of the Press as a contested lift in weightlifting in 1972 . It is an overall body strength builder. Most elite gymnasts can strict press their BW the very first time with a barbell with no previous training at all.
@@09thespecialone There we go😎
2-years ago Alex talked about overexpressing and I've been doing that ever since I've gotten a lot of gains
and that's why I listen to Alex and don't listen to other fake fitnes influencers and I get jacked af
OHP is king. I rather spend energy and time doing rear delt workouts in lieu of lateral to supplement.
I was using the lateral shoulder raise machine too today and it really helps you with raw pushing power when you go back to dumbells or cables
Bald omni man has me hooked on behind the neck press right now. I was always afraid of getting snapped up, it actually makes my shoulders feel better.
He's right about BTN Press! Used to love them until Athlean-X fear mongered everyone. May go back to them in the future.
Yeah I started bringing them back in my training a couple months ago and I remember years back(like 6) I had discomfort doing half reps with 175lbs behind the head and just recently I hit 230 from the shoulders-no pain. Definitely a great exercise.
ohp is pretty much the thing that has given me shape
4:01 Yup Massive Iron - Steve Shaw has been a great inspiration for me to OHP, especially single DB OHP. Both of you bring out great content 😊💪
My shoulder workout is OHP 4x6-8 and BTN press 4x6-8. Been doing this for months and my shoulder definietly got wider and bigger. Traps too. I'm using a wider grip tho, feeling it more in the side delts and that is all that matters.
I've never really put emphasis on my overhead press because I used to spend a lot of time doing pushps and dips and felt like my front delts didnt need added stimulus. As a result, I can barely do 3 sets of 10 at 20kg which is disappointing. Have started bringing these into my routines and already feel my shoulders swelling up! Progress is slower than I expected in terms of going up in weight but im just glad im getting some overhead stimulus now.
Great video. My shoulders look great after following your advice a while ago. I do two push days a week and both of those start with an overhead press (alternating seated barbell and standing dumbbells) and chest / horizontal is always second (I care more about shoulders than chest). Thanks again for the education
Stating absolute facts Alex! Specializing in seated BB OHP for 6 months got my paused 1RM on the bench from 286lbs to 308lbs. Can't imagine what it would be if I would properly re-learn the bench movement!
Ohp simply feels so badass performing and the pump is surreal for me. Haven't done it lately tho (focused on the seated anterior delt press for now). Gotta give them a try again
This is true. My side delts grew a lot from just overhead pressing. At one point I stopped doing lateral raises and I didn't do them for a long time, but I did a lot of OHP. When I started doing lateral raises again, I did them with twice as much weight as I used to. So they obviously grew and got stronger from the OHP.
I thought about that too. If OHP doesn't stimulate side delts then why do people who stop doing lateral raises only do OHP, only to come back doing more weight on lateral raises?
Same thing happened to me bro 👍🏻
On the opposite side of the coin, i stopped doing all variations of ohp (db, machine, barbell) and replaced it with heavy wide grip upright rows, mostly with ropes and dbs, and all 3 heads of my delts along with my traps are now the biggest they ever been.
I love both though if it's larger side delts someone is after specifically I'd personally recommend upright rows over the overhead press. OHP primarily loads the front delts and triceps with little activation of the side delts until the top half of the movement, and even then it remains too eclipsed by the front delts for a meaningful stimulus. Upright rows are all side delt with zero front delt if you do them right, plus some killer trap work if you shrug at the top (which I recommend to avoid potential impingement issues). Do them in the 8-12 rep range 3x week and you will absolutely blow your shoulders UP.
Obvioulsy do what works for you, and you can do both if your shoulders can handle it though have found it extremely hard to tolerate personally. But after doing OHP for years and swapping them out in favor of barbell upright rows a month or so ago my shoulders have never felt fuller and happier.
OHP has also been great for tris and some upper chest too. Almost did 165 3x10 ( 10,10, 8 )last week.
You're right about that! Comparable tris to benching and the upper chest stimulation is legit, especially a lower bench angle (still a vertical press). 10,10,8 with 165lbs OHP is strong AF bro.
Can't wait for later this year, going all out on dumbbell shoulder press!
The overhead press is king. It helps build triceps and brick like abs that pop even without flexing. Just look at all the worlds strongest men. That is how most got abs protruding from 25-35 percent body fat.
The OHP and benchpress are the two exercises that wipe me out the most. There's no way I am not getting stronger doing these.
Bro been doing ohp since your Yoked videos and my shoulders are my best part...did facepulls till you discovered the Expander and it did wonders for RDs. I stick mostly to db Seated ohp though
Dude- your back looks great...👍 well done. I've found that Military press helps a ton with bench and incline press strength and pec development
The idea of only doing lateral and rear delt work for shoulders has always been weird to me. How are you meant to progressively overload on lateral raises and facepulls for 10+ years 😂
The quad and upper back pump you get after an all out set of ohp hits different . YOU FEEL LIKE AN IMMOVABLE PILLAR .
I really love OHP and am focusing on it for the next few months in hope of hitting 200lbs, strict. Recently hit 180x1 (at 5'6", 160lbs), so it's in sight, but gonna take some work to close the gap. This video has got me even more hyped!
180 at 160 is serious work, Zac!!!! Keep grinding and growing, you sound like you're built like me
@@AlexLeonidas haha, that's a huge compliment!
That’s crazy impressive man nice job
@@JeffNixonComedy Thanks!
I injured my lower back doing standing ohp. It was the most painful thing, even laying in bed hurt as gravity was pushing down on the pain. After I recovered I am now sticking to seated ohp and I have seen some nice gains with no pain.
I'm injured atm from the ohp. Worried i won't be able to continue going to the gym
@@powerup9035 I had that same injury from ohp. I discontinued it ever since now doing seated ohp. You’ll recover just gotta take it easy for the time being
Tbf u need to keep the weight low and do high reps
Your OG subscriber here and still obsessed with OHP. I'm receiving compliments from my coworkers on how well my triceps are developed. I do zero benching, only vertical presses and some rear delts work. Since I'm obsessed with shoulders and want them to get as big as possible I think I'll never be benching again, I truly believe that shoulders play the biggest part on how aesthetic someone looks and are also a true indicator of someone's strength. When I was a kid I was watching WWF every Friday and my favorite fighter was Ultimate Warrior. He was my favorite wrestler because he had the best shoulders of them all, to me he looked like a superhero. He'd pick his opponent in the air and throw him like a doll over the ring. Obviously he was juicing out of his mind, but so did everyone else.
How are your shoulders now? Did they get bigger from OHPing?
I couldn't live without it. Great compound exercise, great for overall strength and great for the delts. From my experience anyway. I have disproportionately large delts too so I trust it
You’re awesome Alex I have so much respect for you man. Your video about torso dominance really helped me, you’ve inspired me to get my weighted pull ups up to about 60lbs for 5 reps, at bw of 190lbs and 6’2”, however my arms have been lagging behind, and I’ve been wondering why, and thought that my way to pull ups, where is gotten my arms bigger, but the information that you’ve given on prioritizing arms has been very helpful, you’re very respectable, reputable, influencer in the natty community, and I have so much respect for you man💪🏾💛
If you're not already doing them, add in weighted dips, that'll help a lot of your other arm movements and help increase bench gains.
I agree. You most certainly need to do arm specific training if you want them to grow. Some people might get away with doing compounds only but not everyone and certainly not me.
Dumbbell shoulder press/ military press is fun imo. Add some lateral raises, shrugs, and rear delts flys and that’s all I need. Don’t really need front raises imo
Finally changed your name Bro💪💪💪 new era is coming up
Was about time brother!💪💪
I actually stopped flat benching completely because they wrecked my shoulders, whereas I've changed my main pressing exercise to OHP because I never have problems with it. Shoulders looking bigger, my shoulders feel healthier than ever, better stimulus to fatigue, etc. I basically never do flat bench at all anymore, and only do a few sets of incline bench every once in a while, chest doesn't seem to have gotten much smaller yet.
But even so, the few times I've sat on a flat bench my numbers have only gone up, especially since I was already a closer grip bencher. Total agreement that more should prioritize the OHP.
Don’t forget the lower traps and serratus gains. Scapular rotators are trained really well by OHP
That's true!! Hence the mobility gains.
won't be true for seated variations with back on a bench though I'd imagine. bench gets in the way of scaps movement and the lower traps don't really work unless you go right over head imo.
@@patrickjulius7352 maybe because of the angle of the seat to some extent, but if the scapula didn’t rotate you straight up wouldn’t be be able to lock out or get your arms much above parallel. It’s the scapula rotation that creates that vertical movement
Overhead press is fun, that's why I do them
That's a good enough reason in my books! I love it too, including the variations that aren't "optimal" for hypertrophy.
I did all types of isolations for my shoulders and barely made progress, switched to OHP and BTN Press and never looked back. I now only do isolations for my rear delt and general rotator cuff health. Had great growth in my shoulders doing that and very good carryover to my other presses.
Are lateral raises necessary? I don't do them and have massive shoulders in comparison to the rest of my body. I just have a really strong ohp
I'm not surprised. Looks like you answered your own question.
I prefer the OHP over the bench press, and prioritise the former in training. My current OHP 1 rep max is about 80 kg, while my bench 1 rep max is 110 kg. OHP to bench ratio is 73%. I agree with you that most guys don't do the barbell standing OHP. I'm only one of the small handful in my local gym who does it. Definitely stands out from the crowd where almost all other guys do the seated dumbbells shoulder press variation instead.
I love the standing barbell overhead press because it feels natural and it works your core as well. I prefer the barbell because it also works the tricep more than the dumbbell version
80 kg on the Press is pretty good especially if you weight 90 kg or less.
Hi Alex, could I ask your thoughts on the Clean and press vs the press where the bar is taken from the rack? Or the clean in general?
My personal goals this year are to clean and strict press bodyweight and unlocking the one arm push up, so all OHP content is appericated lol!
Not a fan of the clean and press, I don't see any advantages for upper body hypertrophy. But if you like it, go right ahead. I would rather stand or sit down with back support.
I've always loved the OHP more than bench which makes no sense because I have bad pressing leverages (5'11 with a 6'2 wingspan) . Last year during my bulk I seen one of your other OHP videos where you said to make it a primary lift ,so I solely focused on OHP and my bench shot up. My goal was to OHP my body weight bulked (180lbs) but I came short, and only got to 170 but my shoulders grew so much and I definitely owe it to you.
Dumbbell overhead press is the best In my opinion seated
S tier for sure
3:46 how much years has alberts train on the left picture? And how mich years does it takes him from left to right? He was already big but got even bigger and i would estimated he already training for minimum a decate. Even his calves got bigger how did he do this? I have never seen anybody natty who was able to do this after 10 years.
The guy who can ohp 225 will have a much better physique and be stronger overall than the guy benching 315
Always had suspicion about OHP not recruiting side delts. Even visually you can see them being used in OHP
seated OHP with back support is what im doing right now and it feels right. crank the adjustable bench to vertical and get up against it. you need to make sure not to cheat and put your butt out to make it an incline. you dont need a lot of weight.
That's a tough exercise, personally I prefer one slot down but either way they're still strict for delts and provide max force output. Seated pressing is the way for hypertrophy.
Standing shoulder overhead press grew my side delts and tricep like no other. I used do alot of side delts isolation exercises but standing barbell overhead press grew my side delts more than isolation exercises
How long did you see the changes?😮
Not to mention there is no lift where you feel like more of a badass finishing a tough rep than the overhead press…
Badassness > Gains
Yes I had one of those reps today haha. OHP is intimidating. You really have to commit. Feels as hard as a max deadlift imo and the lockout can take even longer.
Barbell OHP saves my shoulders. Bigger and healthier. After Shoulder impingement i never returned to dumbbells presses.
Perfect timing! Do you think Z presses are overall better to overcome overhead press plateaus or would the seated variation be better? Edit: to clarify I’m at 135 for 8 reps right now on standing barbell OHP
I think Z press is better if ur weak point is at the bottom and it improves mobility so you’ll have better leverage
Definitely the seated overhead press with back support, and Big Z used to do this in the Smith Machine. More stability = more force output and the carryover of the AD press is high.
@@AlexLeonidas in which case would using Z-Press be a good exercise selection? Thank you 🙏
Z Press has improved by OHP form tremendously, use it as an accessory with lighter weight.