Military Press

Also known as the overhead press, the military press is popular among strength trainers and bodybuilders. This compound lift works the following muscles:

• Shoulders
• Front delts
• Side delts
• Triceps
• Traps
• Serratus
• Abs
• Obliques

Using this machine properly will strengthen all of these muscles, and in particular, make your shoulders bigger and broader. Working your side delts is challenging in any situation, making the military press one of the best ways of achieving strong side delts.

The seated overhead press will make a great addition to your public space. It is an easy and safe way to build muscles and gain strength.

How to use a seated overhead press NZ

The GymGuru military press was designed to be safer to use as a strength training exercise than a barbell, allowing you to work the same muscles from a seated position. You can use our seated overhead press according to the following step by step guide.

1.Sit on the seat facing inwards.

2.Grip the overhead bars at a comfortable position. Keep hands slightly more than shoulder width apart. Create tension in your body by maintaining an upright posture, and engaging your core muscles and lower body to stabilise the weight overhead.

3.Take a deep breath and slowly lower the bars down to chin level, trying to keep arms and shoulder blades even with your elbows slightly tucked in.

4.Press the bars back up towards the ceiling to the starting position without locking your elbows. Exhale while doing so.

5.Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Many beginners to fitness equipment start on three sets of twelve reps. When doing strength exercises, only push comfortable weights. Begin with light weights and go up to heavier weights when you are ready. Avoid injury or putting your back out by keeping a tight core – the key to good form.

Because it is a compound exercise, achieving proper form on the military press can get difficult. Below are some of our GymGuru tips to help you get the best press form out of the seated overhead press and incorporate it into your workout routine.

Use a full range of motion

Make sure you lower your arms so that they go past the point where they are parallel to the ground. Bring the bars down to at least your chin to get a greater range of motion from this exercise.

If you don’t have any pre-existing shoulder injuries, you could aim to bring the bars to shoulder height. This last push is the hardest part, so if you find it too difficult, you may need to use less weight. However, you will see better, more sustainable results in the long run.

Keep your elbows in

If you let your elbows flare out as might feel natural, you risk injury. Your elbows shouldn’t be hurting at all, so your elbow position is critical when using the military press.

Keep your elbows under the bars through the lift. When you reach the bottom of the movement, your elbows should be in front of the bars. It might feel strange at first, but it will pay off when you avoid elbow overuse injuries!

Keep your eyes forward

Many people naturally look upwards when doing overhead exercises. However, this common mistake increases the potential of neck injuries, so you should resist the urge to look up and keep your eyes facing forwards instead.

Make sure your hands are in the right place

Maintaining the correct grip width is crucial when using this piece of outdoor gym equipment. If you grip too close to your shoulders, you will limit your ability to press as much weight and strain your shoulder joints. By keeping your hands slightly more than the width of your shoulders apart, it should feel more natural and you will be able to optimise your military pressing experience.

Plant your feet

Proper foot position will help you create the stability you need to lift extra weight. Avoid the urge to lift your feet or bounce them when you lift the weight when using the military press.

Place your feet shoulder width apart, firmly on the ground, and drive your heels into the ground during each rep. That gives you a good, stable base.

DON’T over-arch your lower back

As you increase the weight on the military press, it might feel easier to over-arch your lower back. Stay focused on your body the entire time to create stability, keep your back straight, and your core tight. This is essential when using overhead presses to avoid lower back injuries.

Keep your head slightly back

If you keep your head slightly back while maintaining a naturally straight spine, it will be easier for you to pull the press down without hitting yourself in the face.

Military press variations

Overhead pressing is doable in conjunction with other press exercises, such as the shoulder press or the bench press, to strengthen a wider range of muscle groups in your upper body.

Many gym enthusiasts get a lot out of performing a standing dumbbell military press at a squat rack. However, because machines provide a lot of assistance with balance, the GymGuru team recommends getting used to seated overhead press equipment before attempting more advanced variations.

If you want to try a standing barbell press or dumbbell press, which target the same muscle groups, it is highly advisable to get help from a strength coach. Free weights require a technical lift and are much harder to get right.

You can convert this piece of GymGuru equipment into a standing press to make the exercise more challenging. A standing military press will require you to further enhance your awareness of your entire body as you perform the exercise. The seated version is the better option if you want to work on your upper chest without straining your back.

Using the military press correctly will do wonders for your upper body strength, enhancing your shoulders, arms, and core muscles.

Get your quality outdoor gym equipment at GymGuru

Here at GymGuru, we produce high-quality gym equipment specially designed for outdoor settings. Facilitating a culture where community fitness is not bound to exclusive gym settings and anyone can have a go is our number one goal. Our military presses at GymGuru are a fantastic way to enhance tailored exercise and muscle growth in public settings.

Outdoor fitness stations increase the usage of public parks. The health and well-being benefits of activities in the outdoors are numerous. Exercising in a natural environment boosts the physical health of people more than it does indoors.

Our seated overhead press is one of the best shoulder exercises available. It can be set up in parks, camps, or any other outdoor environment. Bring your community together with GymGuru, NZ!