By The One on One Team
Last Updated: 2/15/2026
Choosing the Right Overhead Press for Your Shoulder Health
Overhead strength is something we all rely on every day. Reaching, lifting, and placing objects overhead requires coordinated strength through the shoulders, trunk, and lower body. When that ability is compromised, everyday tasks feel harder and the risk of injury increases.
Overhead pressing trains this pattern directly. When performed well, it develops shoulder strength and total-body stability while exposing the skeleton to a weight-bearing stimulus that supports bone health.
For these reasons, we believe everybody should be training an overhead press movement pattern. The key is understanding the individual’s capabilities, selecting the exercise that delivers the desired stimulus safely, and executing it with good form.
Choosing the Right Overhead Press
Overhead pressing is not a one-size-fits-all movement. The shoulder is highly mobile and depends on control and stability to function well under load. When upper back posture or shoulder mechanics are compromised, pressing load directly overhead can be uncomfortable or unsafe. By selecting the appropriate exercise, we can achieve the desired stimulus safely.
Single-Arm Kettlebell Overhead Press
The kettlebell’s offset center of mass increases instability, requiring greater shoulder mobility and stability than a dumbbell. For individuals with healthy shoulders, this makes the single-arm kettlebell overhead press an effective way to reinforce shoulder integrity while building strength.
Alternating Dumbbell Overhead Press
A dumbbell is a relatively stable tool making an overhead press more forgiving. Pressing one arm at a time allows individuals with limited shoulder mobility to build strength with fewer compensations.
Landmine Overhead Press
By using an angled pressing path, the landmine press reduces shoulder mobility demands while permitting heavier loading. It allows individuals to train pressing strength without forcing a fully overhead position.
Reaching and swinging
For individuals who are not yet able to load a pressing pattern, overhead reach and swinging movements ensure the shoulders continue to move overhead without losing existing mobility.
Universal Overhead Pressing Cues
Regardless of the variation used, several principles apply to all overhead pressing movements.
Establish a Strong Stance
A stable lower-body position creates the foundation for effective overhead pressing and allows force to transfer upward without compensation.
Maintain a Stacked Posture
The shoulders should remain aligned over the hips with a long, neutral spine. This Capital “I” position improves shoulder mechanics and loads the skeletal system safely.
Limit Leaks
Overhead pressing should look controlled and deliberate. Excessive arching, shifting, or loss of control at the top of the movement are compensations that reduce the effectiveness of the exercises.
Conclusion
As you continue to train the overhead press, be clear on why you’re using the movement and commit to executing it with purpose. The goal is not simply to press weight overhead, but to train the pattern in a way that supports long-term strength and shoulder health.
