Push Press
An explosive overhead press driven by a dip of the knees. It works mainly the front deltoid, with help from the quads, glutes, triceps, lateral deltoid and trapezius.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 1× bodyweight (80 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.7× (42.5 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Push Press
- Hold the bar on the front of your shoulders with a grip just outside the shoulders, elbows slightly in front of the bar, feet hip width.
- Dip a few centimetres by bending the knees with the torso upright, then drive up explosively through the legs.
- As the legs straighten, press the bar overhead to locked arms in one continuous movement.
- Lower the bar with control back to the shoulders, absorbing it with a small knee bend before the next rep.
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 | Quads | Quadriceps femoris |
| Secondary | Glutes | Gluteus maximus |
| Secondary | Triceps | Triceps brachii |
| Secondary | Lateral deltoid | Deltoideus medialis |
| Secondary | Trapezius | Trapezius |
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 Push Press
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.7× | 0.5× | 55 kg | 30 kg |
| Gold | 1× | 0.7× | 80 kg | 42.5 kg |
| Platinum | 1.35× | 0.95× | 107.5 kg | 57.5 kg |
| Diamond | 1.7× | 1.2× | 135 kg | 72.5 kg |
| Obsidian | 2.15× | 1.5× | 172.5 kg | 90 kg |
| Painite | 2.55× | 1.8× | 205 kg | 107.5 kg |
| Antimatter | 3.4× | 2.4× | 272.5 kg | 145 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Push 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.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Push Press work?
It works mainly the front deltoid, with help from the quads, glutes, triceps, lateral deltoid and trapezius.
How do you do Push Press?
Hold the bar on the front of your shoulders with a grip just outside the shoulders, elbows slightly in front of the bar, feet hip width. Dip a few centimetres by bending the knees with the torso upright, then drive up explosively through the legs. As the legs straighten, press the bar overhead to locked arms in one continuous movement. Lower the bar with control back to the shoulders, absorbing it with a small knee bend before the next rep.
What is a good Push Press for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 1× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.7× for women, Diamond at 1.7× and 1.2×. For an 80 kg man that is a 80 kg and a 135 kg one-rep max.
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