Weightlifting for Rugby Fitness - The Overhead Press

[kwstas67]

mind if i ask a question?i am a beginner and i learned thaqt its better for the bench press to tuck in your elbows (if i dont do the hurt me).do u tuck in your elbows with the press too?

[crashxxx]

The best explanation of the exercise find, thanks.

[xxbigpimpin6969]

should you be able to overhead press the same weight as your bench? Or should your bench be stronger?

[rugbyworld08]

@xxbigpimpin6969 Your bench should be stronger

[Bogdyindahous]

What's the difference if you do it behind your neck or in front?

[rugbyworld08]

@Bogdyindahous in front is generally used because placing the bar on the back to press from puts the shoulder joint under extra stress. Both positions can be used though.

[Bogdyindahous]

@rugbyworld08 I see....I know it is more difficult than if you do it in front of your neck..But, is it more dangerous?:-? I mean you can injure your shoulders with the latter method?

[rugbyworld08]

@Bogdyindahous It places the shoulder in a compromised position of extreme external rotation and is potentially more injurious than the press from the front. More importantly it doesn't really achieve anything that can't be done with other safer exercises

[Bogdyindahous]

@rugbyworld08 Thanx a lot man! You're golden...keep helping others as well ;) It really will help me to know this next time I train my shoulders ;)

[bloodystain]

This exercise is my nemesis on the workout days in which it is present. Each set comes after a mental prayer of courage refilling lol.

[FraserChorley]

thank you, very helpful

[0BRAN0]

can i do this with dumbbells?

[fusiondistro]

what is a good rep range for this exercise?

[rugbyworld08]

@fusiondistro 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps for strength

[phoonjzc]

what is the difference between lifting the bar from in front and lifting it from behind?

[Rapido2311]

Great exercise, great instruction video!

[LolitaSupreme]

This exercise isn't good for just rugby, it's pretty much useful for anything.

[zintinio]

@madeinamerica650

Military press is with feet together. This is actually just the "press" but the variation, the bench press has become so popular that it has actually become better known than the original, so overhead press is the name to avoid confusion.

[madeinamerica650]

In the US this workout is called a military press for some reason. But overhead press is a much better description of the workout.

[DMxNemesis]

ok so i know the elbows have to be forward, but i dont know what the purpose of that is, it puts a strain on my wrists. does anyone know why?

[rugbyworld08]

@DMxNemesis elbows forward is to ensure the bar goes up in a straight line as if the elbows are facing back there is a tendency to push the bar forward as it goes up which will put you off balance. The video demo has the wrists cocked back too far as the weight was too light for demo purposes

[DMxNemesis]

@rugbyworld08 oh, thanks!

[ryancouture]

@rugbyworld08 would you say this could pretty well totally replace the regular dumbbell shoulder press?

[rugbyworld08]

@ryancouture no, there is always a place for every exercise provided you are doing it for the right reasons. The barbell press will allow you to use more weight and therefore get stronger but the dumbbell press will require more stabilisation and co-ordination so is always going to be useful but it will depend on your goals.

[iknowme1]

@DMxNemesis

Having the elbows facing forward and up high also reduces the distance one has to lift and thus puts less strain on your arms i believe. If it puts strain on your writs, then you're holding the bar wrong. As video said, make sure you have a nice grip on the bar. In other words, grip it entirely so that your fingers wrap around the whole bar. Most importantly, rest the bar on the base of your hands, near the palm.

[Rugby10Nut]

Im 14 and a tight head prop. any specific neck exercises i could do to develop muscle thre for safety???

[michieleke]

great vids!! just a few questions:

1. why is overhead press more sport specific then bench press I thought that the primarily working muscles are just different

2. is it more sport specific for all sports or just rugby?

3. would it be a smart thing to do a front squat an then continue into an overhead press or is this too much?

thanks in advance!

[rugbyworld08]

@michieleke 1) Because it utilises the whole body to transmit force from the floor to the barbell in the same way you would when tackling or handing off an opponent.

2) All field sports because they are done standing not lying on a bench.

3) You will probably be able to Front Squat much more than you can Overhead Press so for strength development its probably not going to work. Maybe at lighter weights for some conditioning but Cleans and Presses would be better.

[michieleke]

@rugbyworld08 thank you!!

[deolm]

Is the overhead press the same exercise as the military press?

[rugbyworld08]

@deolm The difference with the Military Press is it is done with the feet together, heels touching. This reduces the base of support and make it slightly more difficult to lift heavier weight.

[hurock2]

hi nice video i am 14 years old i play as a foward are this workouts good for me? i am intending to do squats deadlifts and bench press i am thinking to do 3 to 5 reps with high weight what do you think can i do high weight i need your opinion pls thank you

[rugbyworld08]

@hurock2 Learning good technique is the most important factor. 3 to 5 reps is a good range to work in but do not allow yourself to push for weights that you cannot move with good technique. At your age 8 reps may be better as it still allows you to build strength and also gives you more reps to practice technique.

[mlmcginn610]

@rugbyworld08 yea def at that age go for reps and form and build a foundation first

[helloguy55]

@hurock2 Stick to your 3-5. Add volume with more sets, not more reps.

[BSDConstantine]

@hurock2 I'm 12 and what is this.

[carneyshaun]

what do you think is better barbell overhead press, or dumbbell overhead press? for rugby that is.

[rugbyworld08]

@carneyshaun the barbell will allow you to lift more weight and get stronger. Dumbbells can be used as accessory work for stability.

[escafallen]

@rugbyworld08 ye good answer i use both heavy weights barbell lower with dumbell but alternating allows better muscle devellopment

[rolfeder]

@carneyshaun For rugby and sports in general, the PUSH press is superior. You develop full body explosive strength with it. A routine full of squats, power cleans and push presses will take you far.

[mmbosu]

i only ever played rugby once and don't watch it that much, but it seems to me you that you need such strength when theres a scrum or with throw ins (including where a man is loftef into the air to catch the ball

[Cherimoya9]

The upward lifting motion doesn't seem to be used much in rugby. Most of the forces in the game are in the horizontal plane of motion, not vertical, and almost never with 2 feet together.

[rugbyworld08]

@Cherimoya9 This is aimed at developing general pushing and shoulder strength for rugby and is not supposed to mimic the exact movements of a game. As the description says "it utilises the whole body to transmit force from the floor to the barbell in the same way you would when tackling or handing off an opponent". All of these exercises are designed to strengthen general movement patterns such as pushing, pulling etc. which are then tranferred to specific strength by game practice.

[mattyflynn]

@Cherimoya9 man,youve just described line out lifting.feet together,lifting in an upward motion. granted its only for the pack,but its an essential part of the game.

[odeseoutlaw]

Can you use a curling bar for this?

[rugbyworld08]

No.

[cdhfootball]

what musclse does this work

[010mikey]

delts, triceps, abs

[alexolife]

Does it matter when you breathe in and out?

[rugbyworld08]

@alexolife If you are going heavy on these they require a great degree of mid section stabilisation so it often requires breathing at the bottom (where the bar is racked on the shoulders) and taking and holding a deep breath while performing a repetition in order to perform the valsalva manoevre for spinal stability and safety.

[LOLMAN22]

from my personal experience yes it matters especially if you are lifting heavy weights. When I was a novice, my breathing was all wrong and I couldn't even perform 5 reps...

[johnpaul94]

barbell exercises are generally better for all around muscle mass and strength.

This exercises does not work the traps. Upright rows, shrugs, deadlifts, and power cleans work the traps. Not military press. The military press works the shoulders and the triceps.

[spoooky18]

is this exercise good for traps?

[gayknobs]

can someone tell me if this is the same, or better, than the dumbell shoulder press?

[rugbyworld08]

This exercise uses a barbell and so is different from a dumbbell press because it uses different equipment. More weight can generally be lifted with a barbell and more emphasis on stabilisation is generally required with dumbbells. Which exercise you choose depends on your training goal.

[gayknobs]

ahh i see. thanks.

[sum182wrestling]

Dumbells train stability wher'as barbells train strength more.

I think that it's is a personal preference and should be position taylored.

[kairi990]

Thanks for the video! I needed a detailed and clear lesson!

[PanicBlackEye]

Nice vid, very helpful for a beginner like myself!

can somebody please explain the difference (if any) between the overhead press and a military press?

[rugbyworld08]

The overhead press is done standing with feet shoulder width apart.

Military Press is done standing with heels together. This narrows the base of support and makes it a slightly harder exercise.

[SausageBeansEgg]

Good vid, I see so many people who OHP only lower the bar so it is level with their eyes.

[spagwestern]

There's sound on the video. This is helpful, thanks.

[13aaKKii]

Is it me or is there no sound to the video? :|

[rugbyworld08]

There should definitely be sound on the video

[13aaKKii]

Ive got sound now...guess it was something messed up at the time :)

[ECPLO]

these workoutz are also used in wrestling (real not wwe)

[jr20able]

What will overhead press exactly do to help my performance in rugby? And doing it behind the neck alright?

[rugbyworld08]

Read the description and watch the video. Press from the front of the shoulders.

"The Overhead Press is the most useful sports specific upper body strength exercise once the raw strength has been developed by the Bench Press as it utilises the whole body to transmit force from the floor to the barbell in the same way you would when tackling or handing off an opponent."

[hayeder]

it will develop your upper body strength and size, improve co-ordination and also core strength. never do it behind your neck as you will screw you rotator cuff - if you need a full explanation of why not just PM me.

[LethalKingScorpion]

It will develop the explosive aspect... you can tell there's a mix of primary and secondary muscle roles making sure that you train mostly all of your upper body!

As for your second question, no you shouldn't do it behind the neck because you're risking damage to your vertebrae and it's rather harmful.

Whenever you train, keep your form sharp.

train hard - play smart!

[rugbyworld08]

Regarding pressing from the front of the shoulders not the back its not so much vertebrae damage you need to worry about provided you control the bar down it is more shoulder damage. Behind the neck presses place the shoulder in a very weak position & often impinge rotator cuff tendons. Front presses build strength to develop into the push press, push jerk and split jerk which are all excellent exercises for rugby done from the front of the shoulders.

[bloodycrossroads]

hi im just starting out for rugby, im in middle school is there any excersizs that can help me without making that heavy, and if u have any tips on losing blody fat please say aswell i could really use the help thanks alot

[rugbyworld08]

Watch all 12 videos we have on here as they will all help you for rugby and combining the weightlifting with wrestling and multi-directional sprints will burn off any excess weight you are carrying.

[bloodycrossroads]

Thanks so much for your help and how long should i do these excersizes for?

[quadrophrenic]

how do you minimize layback? this is a serious problem with me. i try to get a little bit of hip drive into my presses, but i find that especially late into the set i just lay back too much. it's probably not as bad as it feels, but i'd like to be able to do presses while remaining straight as a board.

is it a weak back issue? because i do deads and rows and my back is fairly strong.

[rugbyworld08]

You need a certain amount of layback to ensure the bar path is straight up otherwise it would crack you in the face. With any heavy weight the bar path will be a straight line and you have to layback out of its way and finish by pushing yourself underneath the bar and shrugging the shoulders, this is normal.

[Fozzay]

I find engaging my glutes helps with minimizing layback before passing the bar over my head and pushing through underneath it. Give that a try

[Vidike]

Thanks for your quick reply. I don't play rugby, I just like to lift, and I was asking because some do it standing, some do it sitting. I'll just mix them up and see what I get :)

[rugbyworld08]

Your objective will determine your method so work out what result you want and select the exercise(s) that will best help you achieve it.

If you want isolated shoulder strength try seated, if you want to work as many muscles as possible and develop whole body pushing strength then go for standing.

[Vidike]

Is it better or more effective than the sitting shoulder press?

[rugbyworld08]

For Rugby it is more effective as it works more muscles, balance and co-ordination than a seated press.

It is more relevant as it is performed standing (you are never seated when playing rugby) and also this is the foundation movement from which you can develop into more explosive exercises like the Push Press, Push Jerk and Spilt Jerk.

[rugbyworld08]

The Press as demonstrated not only works the triceps, deltoids, rotator cuff and upper trapezius muscles as prime movers but as it is done standing it also strengthens the abs, obliques, costals and back as they are required to stabilise and balance throughout the move.

[paul198906]

one of the best exercises you can do in the gym, off the point ... but those 5kg weights on either side of the bar look wayyy heavier than 5kg, more like 20 kg lol, anyways cheers for the upload mate

[dangermousethesecond]

Thanks for all the videos!

[utuberlol]

brilliant exciercise i love it!