7. Enhance your overhead press

I love pressing weight overhead. As a teenager, I had a barbell at home and a total of 80kg which I'd clean from the floor with terrible form, shaking and wobbling. It fascinated me. Then press it up while having a mini stroke. It was the end result of all kinds of ways the strongmen of old would use to bring a dumbbell, barbell or any other type of implement above their head. 

Here are some variations that I've incorporated into my training through the years and still rotate whether I'm getting ready for competition or just training throughout the year. 

1. Standing barbell press

Considered my many to be one of the truest tests of strength. Old school exercise, I like to have my grip at around shoulder width. This way my triceps stay aligned with my forearms. Don't be surprised if your bench goes up while you're incorporating these into your training. You use your triceps to lock the weight above your head and it's a much longer range of motion. So much tricep is involved. 

2. Log press

Classic strongman implement. Very technical lift, keep the log as close to your body as possible when you pick it up and set it to your knees. Squeeze it against your chest, you want to be as low as you can go before you start rolling it up as you stand. Try to have your belly underneath the implement so you can help support its weight as you're rolling it up. If you don't have a belly, wear your belt low so you can create some kind of cushion. At the same time, you want to brace and push your abdominals out for spinal stability and safety. And to create more cushion. 

* Bicep hammer curls will help a lot with this implement. Strong biceps are very important as you're rolling it up your chest. 

3. Seated dumbbell press

One of my favorites. I love seated presses because they force you to be stricter when pressing the weight up. Unless you're a very large person and you can't get the dumbbells to touch your shoulders in the lower position, you need to do just that. 

There's no excuse to bring those dumbbells half way down, doing your triceps a disservice. If you're a bodybuilder or you're doing high reps at lighter weights, fine. If you're training to compete in any kind of overhead press, execute full range of motion. 

4. Continental barbell press

 I'm fascinated by that movement. Something about the bar velocity starting from a concentric position, me being Westside certified and a total Louie fan boy, or all of the above (he was obsessed with velocity). 

This one, the fat bar continental press and the log press are exercises that'll require your whole body to participate. Truly demanding compounds. I like to have my belt placed at bellybutton height or above. Land the Barbell on it and then once more as you're bringing your elbows underneath that bar right before you press it up. 

5a. Circus dumbbell/heavy dumbbell one arm clean and press. 

These definitely will challenge you more in regards of technique, coordination and stabilization. High level skills are necessary to get you to that lockout when you're dealing with weights that you normally can't press overhead. 

Strong triceps are the key to a successful lockout but a one handed clean and press will challenge so many different components. Stabilizers in your shoulders, delts, torso position and leg drive if necessary.

5b. Circus dumbbell/heavy dumbbell one arm power snatch

I recommend implementing explosive power snatches with lighter weight and try to complete them one motion. That's the point after all, smooth transition from the pull (ground to thighs or mid shin to hips if you want to be more traditional) to the shoulder shrug and finally to the press. 

This article sort of became an Olympic lift tribute. I'm not an expert that's for sure. But I do acknowledge the immense explosive power needed and technique to back it up in order to execute those lifts. And explosive power is certainly a very important part of strength sports. 

6. Seated press on rack 

I started doing this one since there are no power racks or just basic racks at my gym. So sometime in 2020 I decided to sit right in front of the barbell rack and have the bench face it. I unrack the barbell and gently sit back. I have the back of the bench at a very slight angle. Just below 90° much like I do in the Smith machine. 

I don't want the barbell hitting me in the jaw on the way up. It's obviously not the most comfortable position but I've found that with a near 120kg/265lbs standing press, I can do sets and reps with 100kg and below. And I have. Works great. 

7. Smith machine seated press

Like I've mentioned in my book Conjugate Iron (plug) and the Smith machine article I've grown to enjoy the seated Smith machine press. 

It allows me to: 

1. Not stress my spine as much as the other movements mentioned above. 

2. Not worry about spotters if I get stuck. 

3. Put more weight on the bar than I can do with free weight, barbell, dumbbell etc. 

4. Give my joints a safer way to train heavy since the bar is on rails. 

5. Do more sets and reps since it's just easier to execute than all the other movements. 

8. Pin press with barbell or log.

Pin presses are one of the best strength builders for your presses. Starting from the bottom position (concentric part) forces you to start your set fully flexed.

And the heavier you go based on your ability, the more muscle fibers are recruited achieving peak contraction from the start.

Also demands good form since you want the bar to go up with as little error as possible. 

One of the hardest variations for sure. And a game changer once you start rotating it frequently.

Additional notes.

A. If you can, use a fat/axle bar and rotate it for the barbell movements. The  differences between them will have you make small changes in angles and position. It's good to be strong in every position.

I like to use thumb-less/suicide grip with the fat bar, it's one of my strong points. I don't want you to get hurt though. If you're not comfortable with thumbless grip, use regular grip and be safe.

B. I like to mix it up between seated and standing dumbbell presses. You can do the standing presses one hand at a time if you're going heavy and you can't find somebody to spot or you lift heavy weights and you can't swing the dumbbells all the way up to the starting position.

C. DO NOT neglect your deltoids! Deltoids and rotator cuffs need to be mobile and healthy in order to support all your overhead work. Train them weekly and switch from front to mid and rear delts. Switch exercises and hit them from every angle.

Thoracic spine work is also necessary, that's what stabilizes your upper torso (along with your abs) right before you press the weight up.

Implement some goblet and Zercher squats with light weight on your lower body days, pendlay rows work wonders as well. You can do these on upper body days, I like to use light weights for slow, deliberate reps.

Terry Eleftheriou for Conjugate Iron 2022

https://linktr.ee/terryconjugateiron