OnFitness Magazine - November/December 2021 - 50

WWW.ONFITNESSMAG.COM | VOL 22 NO 3 | 2021 50
Smart Training
POWEROF
THEPRESS
Gary Ford
The standing press is one of the best
exercises for the total body, yet few
perform it anymore.
Also known as the military press,
the movement used to have more of a
following in the fitness world, but the
advent of machines led many to stop
using it as part of their regular routines.
Despite the loss in popularity, the standing press continues to
be one of the most foundational movements for building strength
and power. It's also a great starting place for various other presses.
Once you start incorporating the press, you can include its many
variations, such as dumbbell and Olympic-style movements.
If you're not familiar it, the standing press is all about lifting a
barbell from the ground to an overhead position. Getting the
barbell up involves most of the muscles in your body.
There are two options to this press, taking the barbell from the
ground up to a full extension on each repetition, or just pressing
the weight from your shoulder level to an overhead position.
Taking the barbell all the way up from the ground is a fullbody
movement involving several major muscle groups. If the
barbell is simply moved from the shoulder and pressed upward
repeatedly, fewer muscle groups are directly involved, but more
repetitions are possible.
The standing press is a raw test of strength against gravity.
Pressing the bar upward in a standing position will test your grit,
particularly if you have never pressed before. The goal is a fully
locked-out your arms, with the bar as far overhead as possible.
It's essential to keep your shoulders parallel with the ground
and not lean too far back. A slight lean is acceptable, but too
much of a backward lean can create problems.
Your body is worked thoroughly in a standing position, and
this position is a more athletically applicable movement.
One of the advantages of the standing press is that it's a
ground-based movement, stabilizing your body as you press.
Ground-based training is the best for obtaining athletic results and
translating those results into real-life activity.
The ground-based style of lifting weight overhead causes the
rest of your body to also act as a stabilizing pillar of muscle groups
working together keeping your body upright under extreme
pressure.
In a military press, the primary muscles involved are your
shoulders and triceps, as they get the majority of the workload.
However, various other muscles play a supporting role, including
your core, upper back, and neck.
The pace of the lifting can vary. It can be performed as an
explosive movement for power or a slower movement for strength.
For those who have never done the standing press, ease into it
with three sets initially, using a moderate weight load. After a
couple of workouts, take the sets up to five per session,
performing seven to ten repetitions per set.
The best results come from performing the standing press only
two to three times a week, allowing for several days of recovery.
If you're incorporating deadlifts, perform the standing press
after that movement. If not, it's okay to have it lead the way into
your workout routine. Z
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OnFitness Magazine - November/December 2021

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