Three Types of Presses

Presses are fantastic way to build strong shoulders (aka deltoids). They can also be used to gauge your overall upper body strength.

There are three common ways to press in the gym: the overhead press (OHP), the push press, and the strict military press.

These exercises train not only the shoulders but also your chest (pectorals), your core, your upper back (rhomboids/traps), and your triceps.

Although they have the same general motion, they also have important differences.

Overhead press

This variation uses a shoulder-width foot stance and a strict, controlled overhead motion. Bodybuilders tend to prefer the traditional OHP to the other presses listed here, since there is more control of the weight and less chance of a progress plateau (more on that below).

push press

A push press uses a slight bounce (an eccentric body movement) to build momentum to lift the weight overhead. This “dip and drive” motion utilizes the SSC (stretch-shortening cycle) of muscle where energy is stored like a rubber band. With so much power coming from the legs, you’ll be able to lift more with a push press than you can with the other two lifts.

strict military press

A hallmark of the strict military press is foot placement: you’ll have your heels close together instead of shoulder-width. This narrow stance makes the military press especially challenging and requires more core strength.

Without the wide foundation of the OHP or the stored energy from the push press, you’ll be able to lift less weight with a military press. This can lead to plateaus, making it important to mix up your training and include other presses in your programming.

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