Overhead Press
The fundamental standing overhead press for overall shoulder mass. It works mainly the front deltoid, with help from the lateral deltoid and triceps.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 0.8× bodyweight (65 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.55× (32.5 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Overhead Press
- Take the bar from the rack onto the front of your shoulders, grip a little wider than shoulder width, elbows slightly in front of the bar.
- Brace your core and glutes and press the bar straight up, tilting the head back just enough for the bar to pass your face.
- Lock the arms out overhead with the bar over the middle of your feet and push the head forward through the arms.
- Lower with control back to the shoulders; a big arch in the lower back means the weight is too heavy.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Front deltoid | Deltoideus anterior |
| Secondary | Lateral deltoid | Deltoideus medialis |
| Secondary | Triceps | Triceps brachii |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Overhead strength with the whole body braced
- Round, full front delts
- Honest measure of upper-body strength
Strength standards for Overhead Press
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.55× | 0.4× | 45 kg | 25 kg |
| Gold | 0.8× | 0.55× | 65 kg | 32.5 kg |
| Platinum | 1.05× | 0.75× | 85 kg | 45 kg |
| Diamond | 1.35× | 0.95× | 107.5 kg | 57.5 kg |
| Obsidian | 1.7× | 1.15× | 135 kg | 70 kg |
| Painite | 2× | 1.4× | 160 kg | 85 kg |
| Antimatter | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Overhead Press, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
See also: strength rank calculator and overhead press standards.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Overhead Press work?
It works mainly the front deltoid, with help from the lateral deltoid and triceps.
How do you do Overhead Press?
Take the bar from the rack onto the front of your shoulders, grip a little wider than shoulder width, elbows slightly in front of the bar. Brace your core and glutes and press the bar straight up, tilting the head back just enough for the bar to pass your face. Lock the arms out overhead with the bar over the middle of your feet and push the head forward through the arms. Lower with control back to the shoulders; a big arch in the lower back means the weight is too heavy.
What is a good Overhead Press for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 0.8× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.55× for women, Diamond at 1.35× and 0.95×. For an 80 kg man that is a 65 kg and a 107.5 kg one-rep max.
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