Push press
The push press uses leg drive to help press the bar overhead. The variation allows heavier loading than strict press and trains power production alongside strength. Olympic lifters, strongman competitors and athletes use push press for specific reasons. Knowing how to perform and use it effectively matters. Here is the practical guide.
What push press does
The push press combines a leg dip and drive with overhead pressing. The leg involvement produces specific training characteristics.
Leg drive assists the press
The brief leg dip and explosive drive provides upward momentum to start the press. The shoulders finish the lift but the legs initiate. This allows heavier loading than strict press while still training the overhead pressing pattern.
Heavier loads than strict press
Most users push press 15 to 30 percent more than they strict press. The leg drive provides the additional force needed for heavier loading. Useful for users wanting to handle heavier overhead loads than strict pressing allows.
Power development
The explosive nature of the leg drive trains power production. Useful for athletes and strength sport competitors. The fast rate of force development trains different qualities than slow strict pressing. The combined strength and power benefits make the exercise efficient.
Total body coordination
The exercise requires coordination between lower body drive and upper body press. The timing matters significantly. Practice develops the coordination over weeks. The coordinated effort produces benefits beyond what either component alone provides.
Technique step by step
Push press technique requires specific coordination. The leg drive and press must work together.
Setup and starting position
Position the bar in the front rack on the shoulders, similar to a front squat hold. Grip just outside shoulder width. Stand with feet shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Brace the core firmly before initiating the lift.
The dip
Drop the hips down with bent knees while keeping the torso upright. The dip is shallow, about 6 to 12 inches. Maintain bar position throughout. Heels stay on the floor. The dip stores elastic energy and prepares for the drive.
The drive
Drive explosively upward by extending the legs and hips. The bar rides up off the shoulders as the legs straighten. Continue the upward motion into the press. The transfer from leg drive to shoulder press should be seamless.
The press finish
As the legs reach full extension, the shoulders take over and press the bar to lockout overhead. The bar finishes over the mid foot with arms locked. Move the head through the bar at the top similar to strict press. Lower back to the front rack under control.
What goes wrong
Several mistakes commonly limit push press effectiveness. Knowing them helps you fix issues.
Dip too deep
Deep dips turn the exercise into a thruster or partial squat with press. The dip should be shallow, about 10 percent of full squat depth. Deep dips reduce the explosive leg drive benefit and over fatigue the legs for subsequent reps.
Slow or absent drive
Slow leg extension fails to provide useful momentum. The drive must be explosive to assist the press. Practice the dip and drive without pressing to develop the explosive pattern. Most users need conscious effort to drive aggressively enough.
Bar leaving the shoulders too early
Some users let the bar rise off the shoulders before the legs have completed their drive. The bar loses connection with the drive. Maintain bar contact with shoulders until the legs are extended. The connection matters for proper energy transfer.
Bending the torso forward
Leaning forward during the dip wastes the leg drive and creates injury risk. Maintain vertical torso throughout the dip and drive. The dip is purely a knee bend, not a hip hinge. Practice this with light loads before adding weight.
How to use it
Push press fits into programmes in specific ways. The right approach depends on your goals.
For strength
3 to 6 reps, 3 to 5 sets. Heavy load. The leg assistance allows heavier loading than strict press. Useful strength work for users wanting to handle heavier overhead loads. Standard inclusion in Olympic weightlifting and strongman programmes.
For power
2 to 4 reps, 4 to 6 sets. Submaximal loads moved explosively. Trains rate of force development. Useful for athletes and power focused training. The explosive nature transfers to athletic performance.
For strongman training
Push press is a competition lift in some strongman events. Standard inclusion for competitors. 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps at competition style loads. The training transfers directly to competition performance.
As supplement to strict press
3 sets of 5 reps after strict press work. The push press allows additional heavy overhead work when strict press fatigues. Useful for adding overhead training volume in single sessions.
The push press sits in the shoulder exercises library alongside other pressing variations and overhead lifts. For the complete catalogue, see our Shoulder Exercises Hub.
Back to the Shoulder Exercises Hub
This guide sits inside our shoulder exercises library, covering everything from overhead pressing patterns to lateral raise variations, rear delt work and specialist movements. Head back to the hub for the full catalogue.
More shoulder exercises
For strict pressing, our Barbell Overhead Press covers the strict version. Standing Military Press covers another strict variation. And Seated Barbell Shoulder Press covers the seated alternative.
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Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
Behind The Neck Press