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Increasing Your Overhead Press Weight Quickly and Safely

September 19, 2023 3 min read

Increasing Your Overhead Press Weight Quickly and Safely

The overhead press is an exercise that can help you develop a wide array of upper body muscles, including your chest, shoulders, triceps, and even your core. It’s an essential part of any strength training program, but it can be challenging to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting over time. If you’re looking for a way to quickly and safely increase your overhead press weight, then keep reading. In this article, we’ll discuss some tips on how to increase your overhead press weight quickly and safely.

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Start With Smaller Increments

When trying to increase your overhead press weight, it’s important to start with smaller increments. This means only increasing the weight by a few pounds or kilos at a time. Doing too much too soon can lead to injury, so it’s important to take it slow and steady. By gradually increasing the weight, you’ll be able to build up your strength and endurance over time. Try adding two or three pounds each week until you reach your desired weight.

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Focus On Proper Form

Form is key when doing any kind of strength training exercise. When it comes to the overhead press, it’s important to focus on keeping your back straight, chest up, and arms close to the body. Make sure you’re using a full range of motion and not just relying on momentum to lift the weight. If you’re having trouble maintaining proper form, then it might be a good idea to lower the weight and work on your technique before increasing the weight again.

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Use Compound Movements

Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. These types of exercises are great for strength and power development, as they require you to use more muscles than isolation exercises. Some examples of compound exercises that can help you increase your overhead press weight include bench presses, barbell rows, pull ups, and squats. Incorporating these into your routine will help you build overall strength and power, which will in turn help you increase your overhead press weight.

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Incorporate Accessory Exercises

In addition to compound movements, accessory exercises can also be beneficial for increasing your overhead press weight. For example, shoulder raises, triceps extensions, and lateral raises can all help improve shoulder and arm strength, which can help you press more weight. Accessory exercises will also help increase muscular endurance, which is key for any kind of strength training. Make sure to incorporate these exercises into your routine at least twice a week for best results.

Mix Up Your Rep Ranges

Another way to quickly increase your overhead press weight is to mix up your rep ranges. Generally speaking, it’s best to do sets of five to eight reps when increasing your overhead press weight. However, you can also mix things up by doing higher rep sets (10-15) or lower rep sets (1-5). Both of these rep ranges can help you increase your overhead press weight, but make sure to give yourself plenty of rest between sets if you’re doing higher reps.

Get Plenty of Rest

Finally, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough rest between workouts. Rest is crucial for muscle growth and recovery, so make sure you’re taking at least one day off between workouts. Additionally, make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep each night. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to ensure your body is well rested and ready for your next workout.

Increasing your overhead press weight can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. With the right approach, you can quickly and safely increase your overhead press weight. Start by making small increases, focusing on proper form, and incorporating compound and accessory exercises into your routine. Additionally, mix up your rep ranges and make sure you’re getting plenty of rest. With these tips, you’ll be able to increase your overhead press weight in no time!