Muscles worked
What the push press trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Set the rack. Put the J-hooks at about mid-chest height, so you can unrack with a small knee bend instead of a calf raise.
- 02
Grip. Hands just outside your shoulders, thumbs wrapped, the same grip as an overhead press. The bar sits low in your palm over your wrist, with forearms vertical seen from the front.
- 03
Rack position. Step under and set the bar on the front of your shoulders and collarbones, with your elbows slightly in front of the bar. The bar should rest on your shoulders, not be held up by your arms, so the drive from your legs reaches it.
- 04
Step back. Stand up with the bar, take two or three short steps back, and set your feet about hip width with your weight over the middle of your feet and your heels down.
- 05
Brace. Big breath into your belly, ribs pulled down, glutes tight. Your trunk should feel like one stiff piece from hips to shoulders before you dip.
Step by step
How to do the push press
- 01
Dip. Keep your torso upright and bend only at the knees, letting them travel forward over your feet, for a short dip of a few inches. Your heels stay down and your hips do not push back.
- 02
Drive. Without pausing at the bottom, straighten your knees and hips hard and fast, pushing through your whole foot. Your heels may lift slightly at the very end of the drive. The bar should pop up off your shoulders from your legs alone.
- 03
Press. As the bar leaves your shoulders, press it straight up close to your face. Pull your chin back slightly so it clears your nose, and keep your elbows under the bar.
- 04
Lock out. Push your head through as the bar passes your forehead and finish with straight elbows, the bar over your shoulders and midfoot, your feet flat, your legs straight and your ribs down.
- 05
Lower. Pull your chin back and lower the bar under control to the front of your shoulders, letting your knees bend slightly to absorb it. Stand tall and rebrace before the next dip.
Cues to say in your head
- Knees forward, heels down
- Short dip, fast drive
- Torso stays tall
- Drive, then press
- Head through at the top
- Ribs down
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Dipping too deep
Keep the dip to a few inches. A deep dip turns into a quarter squat, slows the drive and lets the bar sink off your shoulders.
Hips pushing back or chest falling forward in the dip
Bend at the knees and push them forward, with your torso staying vertical. A forward lean sends the bar out in front instead of straight up.
Heels coming up in the dip
Keep your weight over your midfoot with heels flat until the drive. Rising onto your toes early tips you forward and loses balance.
Pressing before the legs finish
Let the leg drive start the bar moving, then press. Pushing with your arms during the dip takes the legs out of the lift.
Pausing between the dip and the drive
Change direction at the bottom straight away. A pause throws away the stretch in your legs and makes the drive weaker.
Leaning back and arching to finish
Squeeze your glutes and keep your ribs down at lockout. If you have to arch to get the bar up, the weight is too heavy.
Stay safe
Unrack from a squat rack with the hooks set at about mid-chest height, and use a thumbs around grip. Keep the dip short and vertical, with your knees forward and heels down, since a deep or forward dip puts the bar out in front of you and strains your lower back. Push press weights are heavier than your strict press, so lower the bar back to your shoulders under control with a slight knee bend to absorb it, and if a rep stalls overhead, bring it down to your shoulders and rerack rather than leaning back to grind it up. If you ever lose a bar overhead, push it forward away from you and step back; only drop a bar with bumper plates and clear space around you. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your shoulders, neck, lower back or knees, and get it checked by a qualified professional if it persists.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 3 to 5 | 1 to 3 | 75–90% 1RM | 2 to 5 min |
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 3 to 5 | 80–88% 1RM | 2 to 4 min |
| Technique | 3 to 5 | 3 to 5 | 50–65% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Strength sets
175–190lb
3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps, 2 to 4 min rest. Heavier than your strict press. Stop each set with one or two good reps left.
Warm up to 185 lb
Tap a set to see its plates.
45 + 25
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Push Press questions
What muscles does the push press work?
Mainly the front shoulders and triceps, with the quads and glutes driving the bar off your shoulders. The side shoulders, upper chest, traps and serratus help, and your abs keep your torso stiff.
Push press vs overhead press: what is the difference?
The overhead press is strict, so your shoulders and triceps do all the work, while the push press adds a short knee dip and leg drive to start the bar. That lets you handle more weight and trains power, while the strict press builds pure pressing strength. Many programs use both.
How deep should the dip be in a push press?
Only a few inches, bending at the knees with your torso upright and heels down. A deeper dip slows the drive and tends to tip you forward.
What is the difference between a push press and a push jerk?
In a push press you finish the lift by pressing with your arms. In a push jerk you dip and drive the same way, then bend your knees again to drop under the bar and catch it on locked arms.
Should my heels come off the floor in a push press?
Keep them down through the dip. Your heels may lift slightly at the very end of the drive as your ankles extend, which is normal, but they should be flat again as you press to lockout. Rising onto your toes during the dip tips you forward.
How many sets and reps of push press should I do?
For power, 3 to 5 sets of 1 to 3 fast reps; for strength, 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5. Most people push press once a week, often as a heavier partner to the strict press.
Train in Protocol
Log your push press by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.