What equipment do you need for the push press?

You need barbell to do the push press.

What is a good push press?

For men, a good push press is about a 197.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 92.5 lb and elite lifters pass 325 lb. For women, the standards run from about 55 lb to 175 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Shoulders · Barbell

Push Press

How to do the push press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Barbell
Difficulty: Advanced
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Vertical Press
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Shoulders exercises Barbell exercises

How to do it

Start with barbell at shoulder level, palms facing forward. Slightly bend knees, then explosively extend legs and push bar overhead. Lower bar back to shoulders with control.

1Use your legs to generate power and feel the bar accelerate off your shoulders
2Lock the bar overhead with your shoulders and triceps engaged
3Keep your core braced to control the dip and drive

Common mistakes

Avoid excessive arching of your lower back
Don't press before your legs have fully extended
Avoid catching the weight on locked joints; absorb it through active muscles

Muscles worked

The push press mainly works the front delts, triceps, and side delts, with the forearms, upper chest, upper traps, upper abs, quads, and glutes assisting.