Overhead Press Vs. Shoulder Press: Which One Is Right For You 2024?

The overhead press and shoulder press are two of the great upper body and overhead strength training exercises.

Great for targeting the shoulders, and triceps, they are often programmed in place of one another. This begs the question — which is more effective for your upper body training?

In this article, we discuss the overhead press vs the shoulder press. We cover anatomy, equipment, similarities, and differences to help you determine which is best for your goals.

Overhead Press Vs. Shoulder Press: Key Information

Primary Muscles Worked

The shoulder press and overhead press share many similarities, one, in particular, is anatomy. Below we list the anatomy for both exercises to help you understand how each muscle functions. This will enable you to focus on engaging these muscle groups, enhancing your mind-muscle connection, and improving results.

Anterior Deltoid

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Our anterior deltoid is located at the front of the shoulder. It originates from the front of the collarbone and inserts into the humerus, or upper arm bone. Its purpose is to bring the arm in front and above the body.

During the overhead press and shoulder press, the anterior deltoid is lengthened when we are holding the rack position. This is when we are holding the barbell at collarbone height. As we press the barbell, the anterior deltoid shortens, to press the barbell overhead. 

During the lowering phase, the anterior deltoid gradually lengths (eccentrically contracting) to lower the barbell will control the rack position. 

The anterior deltoid muscle activation rate was approximately 85% of the maximum contraction during the ascending phase with a machine shoulder press. Both exercises use similar movement patterns, highlighting the importance of anterior deltoid engagement. 

Lateral Deltoid

Lateral Deltoid

Muscles located at the side of your shoulder which gives your shoulders a rounded appearance.

The middle deltoid occupies the outer side of our shoulder. It arises from the shoulder blade or scapula and inserts into the humerus. Its primary function is to lift the arm out to the side of the body.

During the overhead press and shoulder press, the lateral deltoid works alongside the anterior deltoid press the weight overhead. During a front barbell overhead press, the lateral deltoid muscle activation rate is approximately 58%. 

While during the front machine shoulder press, the muscle activation rate is approximately 42%. This is because the arms are angled slightly inward, which lengthens the lateral deltoid.

Posterior Deltoid

Posterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the back of your shoulder. Helps with posture.

Our posterior deltoid is located on the back of our shoulder. It attaches to the upper part of the scapula and the humerus. Its main function is to extend and externally rotate the arm, and stabilize the shoulder.

The posterior deltoid is most active during the wider-than-shoulder-width overhead press and shoulder press. This is because this grip requires us to rotate our arms outward, which is performed and held in place by the posterior deltoid. 

During a shoulder press, the posterior deltoid muscle activation rate is approximately 11.4%. Meanwhile, if we perform the barbell overhead press the muscle activation rate is approximately 30%. 

Triceps Lateral Heads

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Our triceps brachii consist of three heads: the lateral head, medial head, and long head. 

The lateral head of the triceps is located on the outer side of the back of the upper arm. It arises from the humerus and inserts into the ulna, or forearm bone. Its primary function is to extend the elbow.

When we press the weight overhead, the triceps lateral head shortens, extending and straightening the elbow. From here the muscle elongates, enabling the elbow to bend as we lower it back to the starting position. 

During both the overhead press and shoulder press the triceps brachii muscle activation rate is approximately 90%.

Triceps Medial Heads

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

The triceps medial head is located on the back of the upper arm. It originates from the humerus and is inserted into the ulna. Its purpose is to extend the elbow.

During the shoulder and overhead press, the triceps medial head works alongside the lateral head to press the weight. As we press the weight overhead, it extends the elbow. It then lengthens, allowing us to lower it to the starting position.

Triceps Long Head

Our triceps long head is situated on the inner side of the back of our upper arm. It arises from the humerus and the scapula and inserts into the ulna. Like the lateral and medial heads, it extends the elbow. Meanwhile, the attachment to the scapula helps to stabilize the shoulder.

When we perform the overhead press and shoulder press, the long head works with the lateral and medial heads during the pressing motion. Its attaches to the scapula helps to stabilize the weight through the entire range of motion.

Equipment Used

One of the biggest defining factors between the shoulder press vs overhead press is the equipment used. The overhead press is traditionally performed using a barbell using a wider-than-shoulder-width grip. Meanwhile, the shoulder press is often performed with a variety of free weights and machines. 

Below we present the different equipment used, and how they will alter the pressing overhead movement. 

Barbell

The barbell is used for the overhead press, using a wide, overhand grip. It is considered to be less versatile and accommodating as the bar is rigid and fixed. This reduces the range of motion during pressing movements as we must consider the bar path when pressing overhead. 

Furthermore, this can be challenging for those who lack shoulder mobility to press from this position. 

On the other hand, using the barbell offers great stability and also has a greater weight capacity. This allows for continued progressive overload by increasing resistance and intensity for greater hypertrophy.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are among the most common forms of resistance when performing the shoulder press. Dumbbells offer ergonomic handles which means we can perform the shoulder press in wide, angled, or neutral grips. This is great for anyone with poor shoulder mobility, as narrow grips offer greater comfort. Moreover, they allow for a greater range of motion, which can increase muscle hypertrophy.

Dumbbells have a limited weight capacity compared to barbells. This makes them better suited to hypertrophy and endurance training. 

Kettlebells

Kettlebells are excellent for performing the shoulder press. Their unique appearance and design may be confusing at first. Once you familiarize yourself with the handle and weight distribution they can elevate your training.

Kettlebell training with the correct grip is comfortable. Meanwhile, their shape provides an unstable load that promotes greater muscle activation than dumbbells. This makes them incredible for developing shoulder stability. 

Cables

Cable machines offer a smooth, versatile resistance which is great for performing the overhead press and shoulder press. Cable machines use a pulley system, providing a smooth continuous resistance throughout the entire range of motion. This increases the time under tension, which may increase muscle activation. 

The addition of different handles including single grips, and barbells enables us to perform different overhead pressing variations. Furthermore, the resistance is off to the side, eliminating the risk of dropping the weight. This reduces the chances of injury.

Machines

Shoulder press machines offer a safe and effective way to train the shoulders and triceps. Like the cables, they use a pulley system which reduces the risk of injury. 

Most cable machines will come with narrow, angled, and wide grips which is great for variety, and accommodating those with shoulder mobility issues. The seated position enables us to lift from a stable surface, which can reduce unwanted movement. 

These elements make shoulder press machines great for individuals of all experience levels. We recommend trying our shoulder machine workout to help improve your upper body muscle mass and strength.

Grip

The grip is one of the biggest differences between the overhead press and the shoulder press.

Below we discuss grips

Wider Than Shoulder Width Grip

The wider-than-shoulder-width grip can be performed with the equipment above, meaning it is suitable for both the overhead press and the shoulder press.

This is the most common grip used when performing the overhead press. It enables us to hold the bar with even hand placement, improving balance. This is perfect for barbells as they have a greater weight capacity, and are often used for heavy lifts and strength training.

Performing a dumbbell shoulder press with a wider-than-shoulder-width grip requires great control and stability. It also enables us to train each side independently, which can help improve muscle symmetry. 

Neutral Grip

The neutral or narrow grip is when our palms face each other at the midline of the body. This makes it only suitable for the shoulder press. It can be performed using dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, and some shoulder press machines.

A neutral grip is far more comfortable for our shoulders. This position places greater emphasis on the anterior deltoid and triceps.  

Angled Grip

The angled grip is where we angle our hand position 45 degrees away from the midline of the body. It can be used with dumbbells, cables, kettlebells, and some shoulder press machines. 

This is considered the midway between the neutral grip and the wider-than-shoulder-width grip. It also decreases pressure on the shoulder joint, which makes it great for individuals with limited shoulder mobility. 

Range Of Motion

One of the defining factors between the overhead press and the shoulder press is the range of motion. 

The overhead press is performed with the barbell, using a wider-than-shoulder-width grip. Barbells are rigid and fix our hands in position for the duration of the overhead press. During the movement, we must also consider the bar path as it passes our head. This all results in a lower range of motion. 

Meanwhile, the shoulder press is performed with dumbbells, kettlebells, and cables. These offer a greater range of motion during the press. Furthermore, the grips and handles using these pieces of equipment are independent, allowing us to adjust our hand position. This makes them great for individuals with shoulder mobility limitations.

Difficulty Level

When it comes to difficulty the overhead press is typically considered more difficult than the shoulder press. This is based on several factors including total resistance, intensity, and hand position.

As mentioned, the overhead press is limited to a wider grip which is more challenging for the shoulders. The use of a barbell also enables us to increase resistance significantly. This increases the overall intensity of the exercise. This can be scaled back by using a lighter resistance for beginners.

The shoulder press on the other hand is far more accommodating. Between the various grips, and pieces of equipment, they can be performed in a variety of ways. This makes them great for individuals of all experience levels.  

Who Should Prioritize The Overhead Press?

Bodybuilders

Bodybuilders training focuses on building lean muscle mass and improving symmetry to enhance the physique. This requires compound and isolation exercises to increase volume and overload the muscle to enhance muscle growth.

The overhead press is a compound exercise that overloads the shoulders and triceps. The use of the barbell allows us to increase resistance and progressively overload to increase muscle mass. Additionally, it engages multiple muscle groups allows us to increase training volume, promoting muscle growth.

Athletes

Athletic training focuses on developing strength and power through functional compound movements.

The overhead press’s ability to target multiple upper-body muscle groups makes it great for increasing strength and power. The barbell allows us to increase weight capacity to lift near-maximal loads, which helps us develop strength. This is great for contact and combat sports which require pushing strength.

Who Should Prioritize The Shoulder Press?

General Population

The training focus of the general population is to increase muscle mass and function. The average gymgoer visits the gym under time constraints due to external commitments. Because of this, they will need to perform compound exercises to build lean muscle and strength in a time-efficient manner.

The shoulder press is a compound exercise that enables us to engage many upper-body muscle groups. It is suitable for beginners, as it can be performed using the machine shoulder press. This offers a safe entry point to overhead strength training.  

Meanwhile, kettlebells, dumbbells, and cables offer additional resistance which is great for intermediate and advanced lifters. These further challenge resistance, stability, and muscle activation.

We recommend trying these shoulder workouts for beginners to safely build up your shoulder upper body strength.

People With Limited Shoulder Mobility

The shoulder press uses a versatile hand positioning making it great for people with limited shoulder mobility. Poor shoulder mobility can make sustaining a wide grip and press overhead difficult. This can be due to prior injury, or lack of mobility.

The shoulder presses use of dumbbells, cables, machines, and kettlebells allow us to adjust our hand position. This helps us press in a plane of movement favorable to our mobility, enabling us to avoid pain or discomfort.

As a result, we can still increase shoulder muscle mass, overhead strength, and function, without further aggravation. 

How To Program Each Exercise

The overhead press and shoulder press are both compound movements. However, they have slightly different program variations. Below we will discuss how each can be programmed for efficiency and the best results.

Overhead Press 

The overhead press should be programmed toward the beginning of our workout, after your bench press and major compound lifts. Programming it after larger compound exercises ensures you have enough energy for your larger lifts.

Adding it to your chest day or push day workout enables us to increase shoulder and tricep training volume. This will help promote muscle growth and increase strength. 

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press can be programmed in full-body and split programs. Like the overhead press, consider adding it to the middle of your workout. However, due to the decreased weight, it will require less energy. This means it can programmed closer toward the isolation exercise.

Conclusion

The overhead press and shoulder press are both phenomenal exercises for targeting the shoulders and triceps. They both engage in multiple muscle groups, which enhances strength and builds lean muscle. 

When it comes to choosing between these two exercises, the choice comes down to personal preference. 

If you want to develop strength and muscle mass, we recommend performing the overhead press. Meanwhile, the shoulder press is great for those who want to increase mass, while accommodating those who lack shoulder mobility.

We recommend trying both so you can make a decision which is best for your style of training.

Frequently Asked Questions