Push Press: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The push press is a shoulder press with a leg-drive assist. Your shoulders do the pressing work overhead, while a short dip and drive from your quadriceps helps launch the bar past the sticking point, and your triceps finish the lockout at the top of the press.
- Primary muscle:
- Shoulders
- Secondary muscles:
- Quadriceps, Triceps
Muscles worked
Your shoulders are the prime mover in the push press. They press the bar overhead through the same range of motion as a strict press, just with help getting the bar moving.
Your quadriceps power the dip-and-drive that starts the lift. A short, quick knee bend followed by an explosive leg drive gives the bar upward momentum before your shoulders take over to finish the press.
Your triceps extend your elbows to lock the bar out overhead, working hardest in the final few inches of the press once the leg-drive momentum has faded.
Log Push Press in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
Form tips
- Keep the dip short and quick, a few inches straight down and back up; a long or slow dip loses the momentum you are trying to create.
- Drive up through your whole foot, not just your toes, so the power transfers straight up into the bar.
- Punch your head through your arms as the bar passes your face so it can travel in a straight line overhead.
- Finish every rep with your elbows fully locked and the bar over your ears, not out in front of you.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Barbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Expert |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a push press and a strict press?
A strict press uses only your shoulders and triceps to press the bar, with no leg help. A push press adds a quick dip-and-drive from your quadriceps, letting you move more weight overhead than you could with your shoulders alone.
How many reps should I use for push press?
Push press works well across rep ranges depending on your goal. Use 6 reps or fewer at a heavy load to build overhead strength, or 6-12 reps at a moderate load for shoulder size. Track your working numbers with the 1RM calculator.
More shoulders exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
