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Push press

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Muscles worked

High load
Delts · Front
Medium load
Delts · Side
Low load
Core, Glutes, Quads, and Triceps

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Set up as for an overhead press with the bar on the front delts and the core braced. Dip a few inches by bending the knees while keeping the torso perfectly vertical, then reverse hard and let the leg drive send the bar past the face, finishing the lockout with the arms. The dip is straight down, not forward — dipping at the hips turns it into a bad hinge and dumps the bar. Lower the bar back to the shoulders under control.

Form cues

  • A short vertical dip — do not bend forward
  • Legs start it, arms finish it

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

ShoulderLower backElbowWristKnee

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.

Easier variants