STANDARD
The Overhead Press develops strength in the arm and shoulder muscles.
Figure 15-7 breaks down the exercise as it would be conducted by an individual Soldier:
Starting Position
The starting position for the Overhead Press is the Sitting position with the knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor.
From the starting position, stay seated with the feet firmly on the ground.
Adjust the seat to achieve a 90-degree angle between the Soldier’s upper and lower arms with the shoulders directly below the handgrips.
Place the hips, low back, and shoulders firmly against the seat back.
Look straight ahead.
Count
● On count 1, push upward until both arms are fully extended but not locked.
● On count 2, return to the starting position.
Repetitions
Repeat this movement for the correct number of repetitions and sets required to meet the goal of the strength machine session.
MODIFIED OVERHEAD PRESS
The modified Overhead Press is performed the same as the Overhead Press but with a smaller range of motion.
Soldiers do not flex the elbows below 90 degrees as they lower resistance is lowered, nor will they fully straighten when the resistance is raised.
As the Soldier’s condition improves, the range of motion and resistance may gradually increase until the exercise is performed to standard.
However, these two factors should not be increased at the same time.
SINGLE-ARM OVERHEAD PRESS
The Single-Arm Overhead Press is performed much like the Overhead Press, using one arm at a time (see figure 15-8).
The range of motion and resistance is decreased for the injured side.
As the Soldier’s condition improves, the range of motion may gradually increase until the exercise is performed to standard.
The resistance should not be increased until the Soldier can move through the full range of motion and perform the exercise to standard.
The Single-Arm Overhead Press is used to maintain a heavy resistance on the good side, reduce the resistance on the injured side, or both.