Upper Body Strength Training For Boxing: The Barbell Over Head Press
Written By Gabriel Marsh
Boxers are always looking for the next best exercise to give them whatever extra advantage over their opponent. I have seen and tried many a whacky, fun and not so fun exercise whilst boxing and seen some whilst coaching. But out of all push, upper body exercises, I strongly believe that the standing strict overhead press (OHP) is the most beneficial for boxers.
Why OHP with the Barbell?
The barbell does not provide the greatest range of motion (ROM) or the best shoulder position - the kettlebell beats the barbell at both of those. However, what the barbell does allow for better than any free weighted piece of equipment, is overload.
An athlete can load up the bar with more weight because it is a bi-lateral exercise, making it perfect for an athlete wanting to add strength to their OHP quickly, rather than doing uni-lateral exercises.
An added benefit of using the barbell is that it will highlight more effectively where the sticking points are in the lift, as well as if there is a notable imbalance in arm strength. This will give an athlete more of an idea of the accessory work/variations they should pursue to add weight/speed to the bar, meaning an increase in punching power and if the velocity curve is trained properly, speed.
Why Standing?
Standing is more specific to boxing; we are on our feet boxing, so our kinetic chain is longer. The standing OHP, as opposed to seated, provides a very long kinetic chain, with much greater core and shoulder stability work.
Although you may not be able to load the barbell with as much weight standing as seated, the specificity, core and stability aspect of the exercise are far more superior than simply being able to muscle more weight up .
If your OHP is very weak and you’re struggling with a 20kg barbell, start seated with dumbbells or use a shoulder press machine for a few weeks before trying to progress to the barbell again.
Why Strict Press?
The strict press is best to build absolute strength through a long ROM. There is a time and place for the push press or the split jerk, however, the stronger your foundation and you are, the higher the average increases for those explosive movements (although they do require a lot of technique as well).
Based off limited data at my boxing club with male boxers, following boxers training online and using strengthlevel.com, I would say a good OHP for male boxers would be a 0.75% BW OHP and with even less data, I’d say a good OHP for female boxers would be 0.50% BW OHP.
Summary
If a boxer has a weak OHP (below the benchmarks given) I would recommend they prioritise trying to hit those benchmarks, as strength and conditioning gained through training the OHP sets up a solid foundation of strength for more complex and explosive movements as well as quickly increasing punching power and output.
