Z press

What it is

You sit on the floor, legs out in front, and press a bar or dumbbells overhead. With no legs and no back arch available, the press is honest and the trunk works hard.

Muscles worked

Primary: Front deltoids. Secondary: Triceps, Core, Upper back.

How to perform it

1. Sit on the floor with legs straight and split slightly for a stable base.
2. Take the bar from a rack at shoulder height, or clean dumbbells to the shoulders.
3. Brace hard, then press straight overhead, moving the head back as the bar passes.
4. Lower under control to the shoulders without collapsing the torso.

Common form faults

• Rounding the back and pressing from a slumped position. Sit tall on the sit bones; if you cannot, sit on a small mat or bend the knees slightly.
• Leaning back to get under the bar. Keep the ribs stacked and press slightly forward around the head instead.

Programming

5 to 10 reps with much lighter loads than a standing press. Excellent for shoulder position and for exposing a back that arches under a standing press.