# Bodyweight Overhead Press

A standing, no-equipment press that moves both arms from bent elbows beside your head to straight overhead. Works the front and side delts and rehearses the overhead press path without load.

- Beginner · Mobility
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/military-press-bodyweight/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/bodyweight-overhead-press/

## Muscles worked

- Front delts: 7/10
- Side delts: 6/10
- Traps: 5/10
- Serratus anterior: 4/10
- Triceps: 3/10

## How to do the Bodyweight Overhead Press

1. Stand tall, hands beside your head, palms facing forward.
2. Keep your elbows bent and your forearms vertical.
3. Press your hands up until your arms are straight overhead.
4. Lower slowly along the same path to the starting position.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Stand tall with feet about hip width apart and arms hanging at your sides.
2. Raise your hands beside your head with elbows bent to about 90 degrees and palms facing forward.
3. Keep your forearms vertical and your elbows out to the sides, slightly below shoulder height.
4. Squeeze your glutes, tighten your stomach, and keep your ribs in line with your pelvis.
5. Press your hands straight up until your arms are fully extended overhead.
6. Finish with your hands slightly narrower than your shoulders, without shrugging or leaning back.
7. Lower your hands along the same path to the starting position.

## Common mistakes

- Overarching the lower back
- Shrugging shoulders during press
- Stopping short of full overhead extension
- Hands drifting in front of the head

## Form cues

- Keep forearms vertical
- Press straight overhead
- Keep ribs down
- Press without shrugging
- Straighten arms over shoulders

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 1–2 sets of 10–12 reps · rest 30 s · 6 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s
- **Muscle growth**: 1–2 sets of 12–15 reps · rest 30 s · 6 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s
- **Endurance**: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 30 s · 5–6 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- **This exercise: Bodyweight Overhead Press — Beginner**
- Harder: [Standing Y-Raise](https://seto.fit/exercises/standing-y-raise/) — Beginner

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Bodyweight Overhead Press work?

Primary: Front delts 7/10, Side delts 6/10. Also works: Traps 5/10, Serratus anterior 4/10, Triceps 3/10.

### When should I do the Bodyweight Overhead Press in a workout?

Warm-up. Done at the start to get the body ready. ≈ 2 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Bodyweight Overhead Press?

Strength: 1–2 sets of 10–12 reps, rest 30 s, 6 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 1–2 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 30 s, 6 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 30 s, 5–6 reps in reserve.

### What is a harder version of the Bodyweight Overhead Press?

Standing Y-Raise (Beginner).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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