How to Shoulder Press in CrossFit

CrossFit is a strength-and-conditioning regimen designed to improve your fitness. The program is a hybrid between Olympic weightlifting and endurance lifting. CrossFit uses functional movements such as the shoulder press to work your entire body at once. When you do the shoulder press exercise in the CrossFit program, you emphasize your upper limbs, including your deltoids and triceps, with help from your core and legs to keep your balance.

Things You'll Need

  • Barbell
  • Set of weight plates
  • Safety pins
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Instructions

    • 1

      Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps of the one-leg forward and one-leg back hip flexor stretch, overhead squats with a broomstick, situps, dips, pullups and back extensions. These three warm-up rounds should take you about 10 minutes to perform.

    • 2

      Lift the barbell off the ground and hold it in front of your shoulders with your elbows bent. Keep a tight grasp on the barbell so it doesn't slip from your hands. Space your hands apart so that they are positioned toward the ends of the barbell. This wide grip improves your stability and helps you lift heavier. Use a weight that lets you do between 15 and 20 repetitions per set with near perfect form. You will have to go through trial and error to determine the proper weight.

    • 3

      Stand up straight with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Engage your leg and core muscles to keep your entire body stable and upright.

    • 4

      Exhale and push the barbell up and over your head. Stop the pushing movement just short of locking out your elbows.

    • 5

      Inhale and bend your elbows in a controlled manner until the barbell is in front of your shoulders. Repeat this until you can no longer do any repetitions. Use a weight that enables you to execute 15 to 20 repetitions using this strict form. Do four sets of this exercise.