The Shoulder Press

Never is the stabilizing role of the abdominals more critical than when attempting to drive loads overhead. We train our athletes to think of every exercise as an ab exercise. This is essential in the overhead lifts. It is easy to see when an athlete is not sufficiently engaging the abs in an overhead press—the body arches so as to push the hips, pelvis, and stomach ahead of the bar. Constant vigilance is required of every lifter to prevent and correct this postural deformation.