Push Press

How to perform the Push Press

1. Stand with the bar in a front-rack position at the shoulders, feet hip-width, and grip just outside the shoulders.
2. Brace the core and dip by bending the knees a few inches while keeping the torso vertical, not hinging forward.
3. Reverse the dip explosively, driving through the legs to launch the bar upward off the shoulders.
4. The leg drive is what separates this from a strict press, letting you move heavier loads or grind past a sticking point.
5. As the bar leaves the shoulders, press it the rest of the way to lockout with the arms overhead.
6. Lock out with the bar over the mid-foot, then lower it under control back to the front rack and re-brace.

Suggested working range: 3–6 reps. Default progression: linear.

Common mistakes

• •Hinging the torso forward on the dip instead of keeping it vertical, which sends the bar forward.
• •Turning the dip into a slow squat rather than a short, sharp knee bend.
• •Pressing with the arms too early before the leg drive has launched the bar.
• •Letting the bar finish forward of the mid-foot instead of stacked over it at lockout.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.