I’ve often been called the guy who hates overhead pressing online. That’s not the worst label to have on the internet, but it isn’t exactly accurate either.
I’m not against any one exercise or the idea that a movement should be ruled out 100 percent of the time. I do believe there are lifters for whom overhead pressing is contraindicated.
Plainly put, most people move poorly—especially overhead. It’s a broad claim with plenty of individual variation, but after fourteen years of coaching—eight of them in a facility where many clients were overhead athletes—I know what I’m talking about. And yes, pudding is delicious.
Here’s what you tend to see:
This: excessive lumbar extension, big rib flare, and forward head posture.
Or this: a cascade of compensations. The exact term isn’t important—the point is a messy set of tendencies.
To be fair, plenty of people perform overhead presses like the ones pictured above and never have problems. They’re the outliers. You (and your clients) are probably not them.
In my world, people have to earn the right to overhead press. We spend very little time overhead in day-to-day life. Unless you’re paid to throw 95 mph fastballs, are a competitive Olympic lifter, or are obsessed with flashy hand gestures, you probably don’t spend much energy in that range of motion.
I’m not against overhead—or vertical—pressing. It’s a basic movement that should be trained in the weight room and used in daily life. It has many benefits. But for a large portion of people, factors like limited lumbo-pelvic control, tight or overactive lats, scapular dyskinesis (whether from soft tissue or structural issues), and Upper Cross Syndrome can make it problematic, and problems can arise.
If you want to dive deeper into upper-extremity assessment and overhead mobility, there are resources out there.
I’d rather focus on strategies that fit the moment, are more joint-friendly, and still boost overall strength and capability.
Tall kneeling overhead press — off bench
Adapted from strength coach Joel Seedman.
What it does: it keeps training the overhead press while making it a bit easier on the joints. By performing it tall kneeling (and on a bench, where there are only two points of contact instead of four) a few things happen:
1) It’s much harder to compensate with the lower back. If you cheat, you’ll fall off the bench.
2) It forces you to use a lighter load. You can expect to lift about 80–90% of what you’d do with a strict overhead press.
3) It really engages the core.
Key coaching cues: don’t chase hero numbers—go light. In the tall kneeling position, switch on your glutes and brace your abs. As you press overhead, keep the rib cage locked down for the duration of the set.
Have fun. And maybe skip broad jumps over a volcano or kipping pull-ups.
