6 Benefits of Overhead Shoulder Press Exercise

The overhead shoulder press is an excellent exercise for building strength, stability, and muscle mass. It also improves postural alignment and reduces the risk of injury to the shoulders and lower back.

Here are six reasons why you should add this great exercise to your workout routine:

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Benefits Of The Overhead Shoulder Press Exercise

1. It Increases Strength

The overhead shoulder press exercise is a great way to increase strength in your shoulders, arms, and torso. It's also an effective way to build muscle mass throughout the body. The overhead shoulder press works multiple muscles at once, including those in your chest and upper back as well as the triceps (the muscles on the lower part of your arm). This type of compound movement can help you build muscle quickly because it uses multiple muscle groups at once.

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2. It Increases Stability Around The Shoulder Joint

When you press the bar overhead, your shoulders are in a position that requires them to work extra hard. Because of this added stress, it is crucial that you have proper training and strength around your shoulder joint.

The overhead shoulder press exercise trains all the muscles surrounding this area of the body to help stabilize it during heavy loads, thereby preparing them for other movements like bench press or pull-ups.

One muscle group that is particularly important for shoulder stability is called the rotator cuff. It consists of four small muscles that attach from bone to bone around your shoulder joint--supraspinatus (upper), infraspinatus (lower), teres minor (lower), and subscapularis (middle). When these muscles contract together, they help rotate your arm inward so that you can reach across the body with ease.

To strengthen your rotator cuffs when performing an overhead shoulder press exercise, try doing some light dumbbell presses first with each arm before doing a set at full weight on both sides together. This will make sure both arms get equal attention during training!

The overhead press is great for you; here's why! (Image via unsplash/John Arano)

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3. It Reduces The Risk of Injury

While there are many benefits of the overhead shoulder press exercise, one of the most important is that it reduces the risk of injury to your lower back. When you perform a traditional bench press or deadlift, you must bend at the waist and lower yourself into an awkward position in order to lift the weight. This can place stress on your spine and lead to serious back pain over time.

The overhead press is different because you can stay upright with good posture while performing it, which prevents unnecessary stress on your spine. In fact, this exercise is so effective at reducing strain on your upper body that some fitness experts recommend using it as part of a warm-up routine before other exercises like bench presses or squats!

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4. It Helps Build Muscle Mass and Improve Athletic Performance

The overhead shoulder press is a compound exercise that works the triceps, shoulders, and even the core. It’s excellent for building strength and muscle mass in your arms. The overhead shoulder press can help improve your athletic performance as well as increase your functional strength.

For all these reasons, the overhead shoulder press exercise is an excellent addition to any workout routine.

The overhead press can help you build muscle mass and boost your athletic performance! (Image via unsplash/Victor Freitas)

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5. It Gives You a Stronger Core

The overhead press is a great core and shoulder exercise. It works the entire body, but in particular, it targets your shoulders and upper back as well as your core muscles.

The main reason behind this is you need good posture to perform this move properly. You also have to hold onto something that is heavy, so you want your core muscles to be strong enough so that you can keep your balance when holding heavy weights over your head for long periods of time.

This exercise can be done with dumbbells or barbells, but it's most commonly done with kettlebells because they allow for better balance and control than dumbbells do.

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6. It Improves Postural Alignment

This exercise will help improve your posture. It allows for the proper alignment of your shoulders, which can lead to better posture overall. The overhead press also increases flexibility in the chest and shoulders, as well as strengthens the upper back muscles and core muscles. The end result is that you'll look more confident and feel stronger!

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the overhead shoulder press is a great exercise to improve your strength, stability, and overall health. It can help prevent injuries or even reverse them if you already have one. If you want to improve your performance in any sport or activity where your shoulders are involved (from throwing a ball to lifting weights), this exercise should be included in your workout routine!