Bigger Stronger Leaner

Tip: The Athlete's Overhead Press

This will increase your ability to transfer force across your body, which is crucial for punching, batting, throwing, and even sprinting.

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Aside from its shoulder-strengthening benefits, rotational shoulder presses also help you improve your rotational strength and hip rotational mobility. The exercise will also increase your ability to transfer force across your body, which is key in rotational athletic actions like punching, batting, throwing, swinging, and sprinting.

Rotational Shoulder Press

How to Do It

  1. Stand tall, feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in front of each shoulder.
  2. Press one dumbbell into the air directly over your same-side shoulder as you rotate to the opposite side. To rotate your hips better, raise your heel off the ground as you turn.
  3. Lower the dumbbell in a smooth, controlled manner as you bring your torso back to facing straight ahead.
  4. Then turn to the opposite side to perform the rep with the other arm.

Variations

The other great thing about this exercise is its single-arm and push-press variations (see video). Doing this with one arm will create a greater demand on your core as you maintain your body position during each rep.

You can also do a double-arm or single-arm rotational push-press by slightly bending your knees to start each rep, then quickly reverse the motion, exploding into the dumbbell(s) and driving the weight overhead with your arm(s) and legs in a coordinated fashion. The push-press variations are a bit more athletic and allow you to make this exercise more power oriented.