The overhead press

[abett07]

while workoing out at the gym today performing the standing overhead press I just realised that I have never seen anyone else perform this exercise .Just about everyone uses dumbells to perform a seated press.

is the standing overhead press underutilised or is made some what redundant by bencn exercises that hit the front delts hard ?

[LtL]

Standing OHP allows you to move more weight even if you are strict and use no leg drive. For me a mixture of both is a recipe for win.

LtL

[Abaddon]

^this

[Kuytrider]

Originally Posted by LtL

Standing OHP allows you to move more weight even if you are strict and use no leg drive. For me a mixture of both is a recipe for win.

LtL

I am a big dirty cheat and use leg drive sometimes I only do it when necessary however.

[Shadowschmadow]

Originally Posted by Kuytrider

I am a big dirty cheat and use leg drive sometimes I only do it when necessary however.

Using leg drive can and should be used by anyone who does strict OHP. It helps keep you from becoming stagnant, and allows your upper body to work with weights that you generally wouldn't be able to press, or hit extra reps. Working with higher weights, and hitting higher reps on your normal worksets can do wonders for your strict OHP.

I'm not recommending you only do push press by any means, but you'd most certainly benefit from adding a couple extra reps in your sets by pushing beyond your capabilities. And I would also recommend using push press to finish out a set that you might be struggling with. However, don't look at PP as an easy way out because you don't wanna work.

[Off Road]

Pressing is like pissing. You can do it either standing or sitting. - Wendler

The press is a “better” exercise than the bench press; the range of motion is greater, there is greater work for a larger number of muscles with a concomitant increase in the level of intensity, and one has to exert more energy balancing oneself and the barbell during its execution. - Leistner

Anyone who has been training with bench, ...back supported overhead presses (or machine presses), leg presses and trap bar deads ... should devote serious attention to training his lower back before he tackles standing presses. Such a lifter may have fairly strong shoulders and triceps, and may THINK that he can go out and start doing standing presses with BIG weights. He can’t. His lower back will not be anywhere strong enough and well conditioned for serious work on the standing press. - Kubik

[5kgLifter]

Personally, I've never done seated OHPs; no particular reason, just haven't.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Off Road

Anyone who has been training with bench, ...back supported overhead presses (or machine presses), leg presses and trap bar deads ... should devote serious attention to training his lower back before he tackles standing presses. Such a lifter may have fairly strong shoulders and triceps, and may THINK that he can go out and start doing standing presses with BIG weights. He can’t. His lower back will not be anywhere strong enough and well conditioned for serious work on the standing press. - Kubik

Great collection of quotes Off Road, but I must disagree with Kubik here. I fail to see the connection between trap bar deads and an undeveloped lower back. I can testify to the contrary.
And my standing OHP is pretty decent too.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by abett07

is the standing overhead press underutilised or is made some what redundant by bencn exercises that hit the front delts hard ?

Definitely not redundant. In fact, quite the opposite. Most modern programming is bench press heavy and lite on overhead pressing and heavy back work. It is not unusual to see someone do 3 bench press variations, but to rely on Smith/hammer overhead presses and lat pull downs for their back work.

Programming wasn't always like this. It's one of the evils that has resulted from the over-focus on chest. The idea of more is better has squashed the common sense need for balance.

[Off Road]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

Great collection of quotes Off Road, but I must disagree with Kubik here. I fail to see the connection between trap bar deads and an undeveloped lower back. I can testify to the contrary.
And my standing OHP is pretty decent too.

That's the funny thing about the Trap Bar; because of the way it's built, it allows the lifter to use a lot of low-back or very little low-back. Because the bar does not ride on the front of your legs, it is possible to retain a very upright posture and not recruit the low-back as much. Much will depend on what form you use when executing the lift.