“What’s the best form of the overhead press?”
The one that’s easiest for you to perform safely, intensively, and with an incrementally ever-greater poundage.
Merely avoiding injury isn’t enough. To build muscle, there must be sufficient training intensity to stimulate growth (but without excessive training volume), sufficient satisfaction of the components of recuperation, and sufficient persistence over time in order to build enough additional strength to make a difference.
So staying injury-free is essential.
Overhead presses with a barbell (and some machines) can be done in front of your neck, or behind. Behind-neck pressing should be avoided because it greatly increases the chance of shoulder and neck problems.
There’s the standing overhead press, with dumbbells or a barbell.
There’s the standing overhead press with a barbell inside a power rack, from pins set at the right height so that you press each rep from a pause for two seconds at the bottom position.
There’s the seated overhead press, with dumbbells or a barbell.
And there’s the seated overhead press with a barbell inside a power rack, from pins set at the right height so that you press each rep from a pause for two seconds at the bottom position.
The seated overhead press can be done with or without back support. When it’s done without back support, there’s commonly excessive strain on the lower back, and it’s harder to maintain correct technique. The back support is a bench set at about 75 degrees.
Those are the free-weights presses. There are also seated machine presses, which may or may not be good, depending on the design of the machines, and on how the machines are used.
If the machine’s seat is adjustable—preferably vertically and horizontally—and you set it up for a normal front press, without excessive range of motion, such a machine may be safe and effective. But you may have to fine-tune the precise hand/wrist and elbow positioning that works best for you, or otherwise you’re going to develop shoulder problems. Start out very light, and tinker with range of motion and wrist and elbow positioning, to find the most comfortable configuration for you. Then add weight gradually as the weeks go by, and pick up the training intensity. If you have any negative joint reaction, tinker further with your set-up. If you still have negative reaction, forget about that machine. Try another machine, if available, or stick to a free-weights overhead press instead.
For overhead pressing, I particularly recommend the seated version with back support, because it’s the most conservative option. But when done properly, it’s highly effective.
Do it with dumbbells, and pause for a count of two at the top and the bottom of each rep—but stay tight at the bottom during the very brief pause. Alternatively, do the seated overhead press with back support in a power rack, with a barbell, the pins set at the right height for you, and pause each rep on the pins at the bottom. Or, use a good machine, and set it up so that you can pause each rep at the right bottom position for you.
“You’re well known for placing much more importance on health than most bodybuilding trainers and writers. Precisely what are the health benefits from a good bodybuilding program?”
If you’re young, and fully focused on your physique, you may not be interested in hearing about health considerations. You may take your youthful health for granted, as I did when I was young. But please have an eye on your future.
The only people who don’t grow old are those who die young. The older you become, the more you will value good health. Take good care of yourself!
Bodybuilding training is strength training, or progressive resistance training. It’s the single most productive form of exercise, for men and women. When done properly, it builds strength, develops muscle, improves overall fitness, improves posture, slows the effects of aging, increases resistance to injury, and transforms physical appearance.
Strong muscles produce health benefits that reduce the impact of aging.
Strength training helps you to stay young for your years.
But strength training alone isn’t enough.
Without a supple body, muscles lose some of their elasticity and ability to function properly, and tendons, ligaments and joint capsules become brittle. Tissues in general become more susceptible to injury, and the body ages at an accelerated rate.
And cardio produces further health benefits, including increased high-density lipoprotein (the “good cholesterol”), reduced blood pressure, reduced risk of diabetes, reduced incidence of various cancers, reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and reduced likelihood of depression.
The heart is a muscle. It can be trained for greater strength and endurance. The potential benefits are extensive—a more efficient and thus healthier cardiovascular system (heart, lungs, and blood vessels).
The combination of strength training, stretching, cardio, good nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle, is the closest we can get to the fountain of youth, but the exercise must be safe and effective, and sustained over the long-term.
Time and effort put into a good exercise program aren’t expenditures. They are investments.
It’s possible to be strong, supple, fit and vigorous throughout your life provided that you look after yourself properly.
Imagine the boost to your productivity, usefulness, and enjoyment of life that sustained vigor will yield. And that’s on top of a good physique.
Train properly, and you’ll experience the exercise high. Your workouts will become an essential part of your life—and they will make you look, function and feel better.
Done properly, exercise isn’t drudgery. It’s a blessing, and a joy.