How to Set Up a Barbell Overhead Press

Feet too close together.

Your lower body provides a stable base for your arms and shoulders to push from. “If your feet are too narrow, all that does is compromise the stability of the position before you’ve started moving [the weight],” ­Fleming says. Being even slightly off-­balance makes it a lot harder to control the path of the bar when it’s time to press it overhead.

Elbows pointed down.

Gripping the barbell with the elbows pointing to the floor causes the weight to drift forward, notes Fleming. “As soon as that happens, you’re holding the bar with your forearms and biceps instead of supporting the weight on your shoulders.”

Grip too narrow.

Ultimately, your grip position depends on your shoulder ­mobility and whether you’re targeting the shoulders or triceps (a narrower grip homes in on the triceps). However, many people place their hands closer together than their overhead shoulder mobility ­allows, leading them to press the barbell forward slightly to compensate.

Feet hip width to shoulder width apart.

Widen your stance to create a more stable base for the overhead press. You may need to experiment to find your ideal position, but most people settle somewhere between hip width and shoulder width apart, Fleming says.

Point elbows slightly forward.

When you grip the bar, allow the elbows to drift in front of the bar rather than point straight down. This gets the bar to sit on the shoulders and collarbones, giving you a more supportive base position.

Grip with hands shoulder width apart or wider.

For most people, this tends to be the most comfortable grip position, says Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, cofounder of Core ­Collective, a fitness facility in Brookline, Mass. Aim to keep your wrists as straight as your unique ability allows.

(For more on this move and variations, see “How to Do the Overhead Press.”)