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Exercise handout — move better, feel better.
Safety Squat Bar Overhead Press
You stand with a safety squat bar resting on your collarbones and your hands on the handles. You press the bar straight overhead, then lower it back to your collarbones.
Stop if
If anything hurts or feels wrong, stop and ask a qualified health professional.
- Pain 6 out of 10 or more: choose an easier exercise.
- Pain 8 out of 10 or more: stop and rest.
Equipment needed
- Works at the gym
fixed_horizontal_bar
Gym
- squat rack (No safe home substitute has been reviewed yet.)
Dosage
3
Sets
8
Reps / Time
60 sec
Rest
controlled
Tempo
Step-by-Step Guide
Set up
- Place the bar so the padded yoke sits on your collarbones and the handle padding rests against your chest, with the handles facing away as for a squat. Choose a light load and a clear space, and set up any rack, spotter or safety arms yourself.
- Take the same grip you use for a standard overhead press, stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart, brace your core and keep your lower back and lats tight before the first press.

Step 1 of 3
Stand tall with the bar's padding resting on your collarbones and the handle padding against your chest. Hold the bar with your usual overhead-press grip, elbows below the bar, core braced.

Step 2 of 3
Press the bar straight overhead until your arms lock out, with the bar stacked over your shoulders, hips and ankles and not out in front of you.

Step 3 of 3
Stand tall with the bar's padding resting on your collarbones and the handle padding against your chest. Hold the bar with your usual overhead-press grip, elbows below the bar, core braced.
Breathing
- Breathe normally.
Safety Information
Never lose tightness in the lower back and lats, and avoid finishing with the bar too far out in front. If anything hurts or feels wrong, stop and ask a qualified health professional. Stop if the exercise causes pain or you become unwell. Seek appropriate professional advice about symptoms or suitability.
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Printed from clapmove.com. ClapMove is not a replacement for professional medical advice — always consult a healthcare provider before starting any exercise program.