It is not the muscles you might think you need to train harder to improve your overhead press.

I was invited to answer questions about the events at Sweden's Strongest Man. One question was, “What block in the log press will fail the most?" In other words, “Where is the biggest weakness in the log press?” 

Muscles in the upper back will be the weakest point in an average athlete. 

Why Your Upper Back is the Weak Link

The weight will easily fall in a log lift if you are not strong enough in your upper back. If you can not squeeze your shoulders, they fall forward, and if you are able to press the log over your head, you have to compensate and lean back in your upper body to execute the press movement more like a standing bench press. 

What you see, on the other hand, is that you can not push your triceps to lock out the movement of the log over your head. In strongman movements, a significant amount of muscle engagement is always involved. However, to effectively push the weight forward or drag it towards you, proper weight distribution across all movement complexes is essential. Remember that movement energy is like water; it will always seek the easiest way out. If there is a weak link in your muscle chain, that is what causes your failure. I think getting stronger is about covering these leaks of movement energy and developing a solid movement pattern. 

Unlocking Your Overhead Press

It is a good idea to focus on the static movement at the end of the exercise to better approach your upper-back exercises. Train the muscles to get stronger in the isometric and quasi-isometric movement. Keep the muscles tensed to build strength enough NOT to MOVE while you move the main muscles that execute the desirable movement, like the lockout with the log or barbell you want to do. The press is not the only thing; you need the same function in the upper back during squats and deadlifts, but let's focus on the press overhead in this article. 

During the competition, I met Zydrunas Savickas—a monster when it comes to log lifts and a pro strongman. The Savickas Press is one of his favorite exercises for building more strength for overhead press. 

Perform the Savickas Press by sitting on the floor with straight legs and pressing the bar overhead. If you have never tried it, do it during your next gym session. It puts a lot of pressure on your upper back and also forces your abs to work like hell.

Stiffness in your scapulae can also cause bad movement, negatively impacting your overhead press. If you do not have mobility in your scapulae, you will be restricted in the movement of the shoulder, and it is harder to press overhead. It can restrict movement, leading to poor muscle chain and bad movement, leaking out all the movement energy. Secondly, it can hinder you from building pure strength in your upper back. 

How to Fix Your Overhead Press Recap

  • Get stronger in your upper back.
  • Get rid of stiffness in scapulae/shoulders.
  • Incorporate the Savickas Press in your training.
  • Get strong abs.
  • Train hard as f@ck.

More Resources:

Stefan Waltersson has been a personal trainer for more than 20 years. He is Westside Barbell certified as a special strength coach. He was also educated and trained by Professor Boris Sheiko, who also wrote the preface for Stefan's book Advanced Strength Training—Book of Principles. Stefan works as an author, lecturer, and strength coach and runs a gym in Sweden. Previously, he worked as a nurse assistant in healthcare, with neurology as his main focus. You can also find him on Instagram as @coach_waltersson.