How to Do a Shoulder to Overhead: Form, Mistakes, Scaling

Shoulder to Overhead

Bar from shoulders to overhead, any style. Umbrella term for getting the bar from your shoulders to overhead with any technique, such as press, push press, or jerk. The rep counts when your arms, hips, and knees are fully extended.

How to do the Shoulder to Overhead, step by step

Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders, feet hip-width.
Pick the technique that fits the weight and how fatigued you are.
Get the bar overhead with a dip and press or a jerk.
Fully extend your arms, hips, and knees, bar over midfoot.
Lower the bar under control back to your shoulders.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Not fully standingfinish with your hips and knees fully extended at the top
Bar crashes onto your shoulders on the way downabsorb it with your legs
Strict pressing when tiredswitch to push press or jerk

How to scale the Shoulder to Overhead

If you can't do the movement cleanly yet or the workout is too heavy, use one of these variations:

Dumbbell Shoulder to Overhead
Lighter bar
Push Press

Also known as

S2oh · Shoulder to oh · Stoh

Benchmarks with Shoulder to Overhead

Open 13.210 min AMRAP: 5 Shoulder-to-Overhead 52.5 kg, 10 Deadlifts 52.5 kg, 15 Box Jumps 61 cm

These descriptions are general guidance and don't replace a coach. Have someone at your box show you new movements, and stop if anything hurts.