Shoulder Exercise- the Overhead Press by Resident Physiotherapist Ben Derrough
This week’s exercise is a great shoulder exercise and one I like to do myself to keep my shoulders healthy. If, however, you have pain with this movement or overhead movements in general, consult with your SOS physiotherapist prior to doing this exercise.
How-To Steps:
- Shoulders elevated to ~90 degrees, elbows pointed ~45 degrees off your body, holding the weights with a “diamond” grip (rotate thumbs inward) just in front of your face. You can perform this exercise with dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell or even home equipment like a can of soup or juice jug.
- From the starting position push the weights up towards the ceiling in as straight a line as possible while pushing your chest forward. Don’t try to poke your head forward, instead move the chest forward as you push the weights upward. Once at the top, slowly return to the starting position by reversing the above steps. Repeat for the recommended reps and sets
*Sets: 3-4 Reps: 6-8 Timing: 1 second to push weights up, 3 seconds to bring weights back down Rest: 1-2 mins Intensity/Effort Level: 4-5/10 (use a weight that gets you to this effort level) Frequency: ~3x/week
*Never do an exercise that causes you pain*