How to do the Bodyweight Overhead Press
- Stand tall, hands beside your head, palms facing forward.
- Keep your elbows bent and your forearms vertical.
- Press your hands up until your arms are straight overhead.
- Lower slowly along the same path to the starting position.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Stand tall with feet about hip width apart and arms hanging at your sides.
- Raise your hands beside your head with elbows bent to about 90 degrees and palms facing forward.
- Keep your forearms vertical and your elbows out to the sides, slightly below shoulder height.
- Squeeze your glutes, tighten your stomach, and keep your ribs in line with your pelvis.
- Press your hands straight up until your arms are fully extended overhead.
- Finish with your hands slightly narrower than your shoulders, without shrugging or leaning back.
- 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
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
- Harder Standing Y-Raise
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).
