I’ve got another forgotten exercise for you today.
The overhead press is enjoying a bit of a resurgence as a late.
And that’s great.
But here’s a “tried-and-true” variation on the overhead press that’s guaranteed boost your strength in the overhead press plus strengthen your bones, ligaments and tendons too.
It’s called the overhead press lockout.
The exercise is simple.
With the traditional overhead press, you press the barbell from shoulder level all the way to lockout above your head. But with the overhead press lockout, you’re going to remove the bottom portion of the movement and start the barbell just a few inches from the lockout position.
You’ll need to start the barbell in a power rack or on adjustable squat stands to make this work. Ideally, the barbell should be position so that it’s at least as high as the top of your head.
This exercise allows you to use a lot more weight than a traditional overhead press. As a result, your tendons and ligaments grow used to the heavier weight and get stronger.
As an added bonus, the poundages you use on the regular overhead press will feel lighter so you can expect to get stronger in the full range motion as well.
Because the top of the overhead press motion draws upon tricep strength, many guys report seeing big increases in triceps size when including heavy overhead press lockouts in their routines.
In fact, the heavy overhead press lockout was one of Bill Pearl’s favorite triceps exercises and it clearly paid off for him. (See pic at beginning of article.)
So if you’ve hit a sticking point with the overhead press, switch to heavy overhead press lockouts for four weeks. Then come back to the regular overhead press and you’ll blow right through your previous personal records.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Just wanna inquire as to whether these overhead press lockouts are best done standing or sitting?
I’ve seen them done both ways but I prefer standing as the seated version is harder on my lower back.
To do this correctly, you have to make sure you have good shoulder range of motion. Make sure that at lockout, the bar is at least over the middle of your head. Many guys have tight muscles (esp. lats) that limit their shoulder range of motion causing them to push the weight to a position out in front of their head. This is a weak position and may be dangerous with heavier weights. Many guys remedy this lack of range by leaning back more, potentially straining the low back. Anyway, stretch the lats, pecs and shoulders if you have this problem. Some lifters may have an increased congenital rounded mid back (thoracic kyphosis) that may make this exercise difficult (along with all barbell overhead presses) no matter what.
I have done these, but I don’t know if it’s better to work for reps or static holds for time. Any reccomendations?
@ Thomas:
Very good point. I see a lot of people moving the bar back instead of moving their bodies forward under the bar.
@ Charles: I’d start with reps and save the static hold technique for later down the road.
Could this exercise be done in a Smith-machine (or Smith-rack)?
Almost any exercise CAN be done in a smith machine.
Whether you should… that’s a different story.
In my opinion, the smith machine severely reduces the effectiveness of an exercise.
In fact, I just read an article (can’t remember where) about a guy who claimed he could overhead press 165lbs. But he was doing the exercise in the smith machine.
So his buddy called him out and forced him to do a the regular overhead press (just a barbell, no smith machine). The guy could only manage one rep with 135lbs. So his friend laughed and said “Looks like YOU can only handle 135lbs and Mr. SMITH was doing 30lbs.”
Wow, I just started really lifting again after a rotator cuff injury which kept me from lifting for a few years. Then I started doing body weight excercises, they pushups with a weight vest on. I am 40 now, and felt I had nothing to prove to anyone just wantng to stay in shape. I focused more on reps than max, not that I hit all that much to begin with. However, I am hitting repping out just a little less than my max back then like 20 per set. Unless I was hitting a lot more than I thought I am doing just 10lbs less than my max with no problems and it isn’t. I just don’t want to get re-injured. I also lost 50lbs of fat. People say I look pretty good for my age.
I am scared to really work sholders. any suggestions.
@Phi:
Bill Starr (legendary strength coach) noted that many years ago, when athletes did equal parts overhead pressing and equal parts bench pressing, rotator cuff problems were extremely rare.
So perhaps you might experiment with a lot more overhead pressing and lay off the horizontal pressing movements (push-ups, bench press, etc) for a while.
Just be sure to start very light — perhaps even with a broomstick at first.