Pain guide · Back pain

Lower back pain when overhead pressing: arching, the ribs and bracing, standing or seated, and swaps

Lower back pain when you overhead press, whether a barbell military press, a dumbbell shoulder press or a machine, usually comes from your lower back arching to finish the rep: the weight is heavy, you're tired, or your shoulders and upper back don't reach fully overhead, so the ribs flare and you lean back. That is our reading of studies of arm raising: no study has counted back pain from the overhead press or measured the lower back during it, and most lifting back injuries are strains that settle. Ribs down and glutes squeezed, a lighter weight with no leaning back, and a seated, half-kneeling or one-arm press for a while usually help.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble, weakness in both legs, or shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for back pain with a fever. It then maps the causes by where it hurts and who you are, explains what the studies of arm raising, bracing and belts show, and don't, shows how to change your press today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from seated and landmine presses back to the bar.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 34 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.
Call 999: shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, especially with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick. It could be a heart attack.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem. If you've been diagnosed with angina, get help from NHS 111 too if it feels worse than before, is happening more often, lasts longer or happens when you're resting.
Call 999 or go to A&E if breathing suddenly becomes difficult, if pain in your chest or upper back comes on suddenly with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, or if someone passes out. Do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Call 999: a sudden headache that is extremely painful and doesn't go away, during or after a heavy lift or at any other time, or weakness or numbness in one arm or down one side of the body. A bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy.
Same day (NHS 111): back pain after a new, significant injury in the last 7 days, such as a fall from a height (off a box, a bar or rings) or a direct blow to the back.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): back pain and you feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly.
Same day: leg weakness that is getting worse; new leg pain with a history of cancer, HIV, TB or inflammatory arthritis; or leg pain with a fever, feeling unwell, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss or night sweats.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): new difficulty lifting the front of your foot or toes (foot drop), or a foot that slaps down or catches as you walk, especially if it is getting worse. Weakness in both legs, or with numbness around the genitals or bottom or bladder or bowel changes, is the 999 emergency above.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or you're being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or you feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Do not drive to A&E. With any other hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, feeling or being sick, vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, constipation, a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or sudden confusion, get help from NHS 111.
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
Same day: you have or have had cancer, and new back pain that is severe and doesn't let up, is getting steadily worse, is worse at night and disturbs your sleep, is worse when you cough, sneeze or strain, or comes with tenderness over the spine. Contact your cancer team or GP urgently. With cancer, new weakness, difficulty walking, numbness or bladder or bowel problems are an emergency.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of squats, sit-ups, back extensions or burpees, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Back pain that hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home, stops you doing day-to-day activities, worries you, or you're struggling to cope.
Pain, tingling or numbness spreading below the knee that isn't settling after a few weeks, is getting worse or stops your normal activities: see a GP.
Pain that doesn't improve with rest or is worse at night, or pain that is worse when you sneeze, cough or poo.
Unexplained weight loss, or a lump, swelling or change in the shape of your back.
Pain at the top of the back, between the shoulders, rather than in the lower back.
A teenager or young adult whose low back pain is worse arching backwards and hasn't settled after a couple of weeks: stop the lifts that arch the back and get it checked by a GP or a sports medicine doctor or physiotherapist. It can be a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis), which usually does well without surgery when it's found.
A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, especially one that appears when you cough or strain and goes when you lie down: see a GP, as it may be a true hernia. A femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, mainly in women over 50, though it can happen to anyone) needs treating in hospital.
Sudden new back pain after a minor fall, lift, cough or sneeze, from 50 or past the menopause, or if you take long-term steroid tablets; or height loss, a curved spine or a change in posture: see a GP. It can be a spinal fracture.
Back pain that started before 45 and has lasted more than 3 months, especially if it started before 35, wakes you in the second half of the night, comes with buttock pain, gets better with movement or within 48 hours of anti-inflammatory painkillers, or you have or have had arthritis, pain where a tendon attaches to bone (enthesitis) or psoriasis, or a parent, brother, sister or child with spondyloarthritis. These can point to inflammatory back pain (axial spondyloarthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer people with 4 or more of these 9 features to a rheumatologist, and to do a blood test for the HLA-B27 gene marker if exactly 3 are present, referring if it is positive.
A strain that is getting worse, or isn't feeling better after looking after it yourself: see a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

Across the lower back, one or both sides, building as you lean back to finish reps or as sets get hard, easing when you sit or stop

Usually ordinary low back pain, the back muscles working at the end of their range (our reading): by far the commonest pattern. Ribs down, a lighter weight and a seated or one-arm press usually help.

Read: Back pain →

A cramp or tight band across the lower back as you lock out heavy reps

Usually a muscle cramp at the end of the arch that lets go within a minute (our reading). Lower the weight and stop leaning back.

A sudden catch mid-rep, taking the bar out of the rack or racking it, then stiffness or muscles locking up

A strain or back spasm: common, and it settles over days to weeks.

Read: Back spasm and pulled back muscle →Achy back muscles a day or two after a new or heavier session, easing day by day

Usually muscle soreness; our after-workout guide tells soreness from a strain.

Read: Back pain after a workout →Pain at the end of arching back, often on one side, eased by bending forward, from mid-life

Possibly the small joints at the back of the spine (facet joints), though no test can confirm it.

Read: Facet joint pain →A teenager or young adult whose lower back hurts more arching back, building over weeks

Possibly a stress fracture of the spine, which needs checking: see the warning signs.

Read: Spondylolisthesis →The same pain bending backwards or arching in daily life

Our bending backwards guide covers it.

Read: Back pain bending backwards →Down one leg past the knee, with tingling, numbness or weakness

A nerve, usually from a disc (sciatica): less common, and slower to settle.

Read: Sciatica →Low on one side, by the dimple at the back of the pelvis, into the buttock

Possibly the sacroiliac (SI) joint.

Read: SI joint pain →The shoulder rather than the back as you press

Our shoulder press guide covers it.

Read: Shoulder pain overhead pressing →Between the shoulder blades as you press

The upper back muscles: our upper back pain guide covers them.

Read: Upper back pain →The same back pain on the bench, in squats or in deadlifts

Our bench press, squat and deadlift back guides cover each one.

Read: Back pain after deadlifts →A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, bigger when you strain

A possible hernia: read the warning signs first.

Read: Groin pain →

Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness or sweating as you press

Rarely the heart: call 999, as the warning signs say.

Understand it

What the press asks of the lower back, and what no study has measuredEmerging evidence

In a strict overhead press the bar goes from the front of your shoulders to straight overhead while your trunk stays still: the site's press guide teaches squeezing your glutes, bracing with your ribs down, and no knee dip or leaning back. To finish overhead, the shoulders lift fully and the upper back extends a little: raising both arms extended the upper back by about 13 degrees on average in 21 men, varying a lot between people. In 10 people imaged while raising one unloaded arm, the upper back and lower neck curves changed, with no evidence of a change in the lower back.

No study has measured lower back movement or load during a standing barbell press, or counted back pain from it. That a lower back which arches under the bar is compensating, most often for a heavy weight, tiredness, or shoulders and an upper back that don't reach overhead, is our reading of these imaging and posture studies: in 31 men holding a swimmer's arms-overhead position, less shoulder range and less deep tummy muscle activity went with a bigger lower back arch, though that study measured one moment, in a different posture.

Sources 1, 2, 3

Who gets it: lifters' backs often hurt, but the press isn't namedEmerging evidence

Across weightlifting and powerlifting, the spine, shoulder and knee are the commonest injured areas; in powerlifting, the lower back made up 30.8% of injuries where reports gave counts. In elite weightlifters, who press and jerk overhead, 74.6% of back injuries were strains, and 90.5% of all injuries cost a day or less. No survey names the overhead press as the cause of a back injury; in Swedish powerlifters, injuries began in squat, bench and deadlift training. Belt users had more lower back injuries in 245 powerlifters, an association likely tied to heavier lifting.

It tends to bother lifters on heavy or long sets, when they lean back to grind out the last reps, after a jump in load, or with a back already sore from squats and deadlifts (our reading).

Sources 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Arching, the facet joints and stress fracturesMixed evidence

From mid-life, pain on arching is often put down to the small facet joints at the back of the spine. They may account for 15% to 41% of low back pain, but a single numbing injection gives false positives in 25% to 45%, and the history and examination can't identify them.

In young athletes, a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis) is common: it was found in 41.7% of athletes with low back pain across 9 studies (average age 16, with very mixed results between studies) and in 30% of 1,025 adolescent athletes with low back pain. It usually does well when it's found, which is why a young lifter whose back hurts more arching back, and doesn't settle, needs checking.

Sources 9, 10, 11

Bracing and the pressure in your abdomenEmerging evidence

Bracing raised the pressure in the abdomen far more than drawing the tummy in (116 against 10 mmHg in 7 men). Raising that pressure stiffened the trunk by 21% to 42% in a sudden-release test in 10 people, and bracing cut movement at each level of the lower spine under a sudden load by 45% to 94% in 16 people; in a computer model, the effect depended on posture and task. Breath-holding pressures in the overhead press are modest (30 to 50 mmHg at the mouth in bodybuilders), far below squats and deadlifts.

These are lab measurements of stiffness and pressure. Trials rarely compare bracing with other approaches, and none tests bracing against back pain in lifters.

Sources 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Rare but serious: a hernia, the heart and the nervesStrong evidence

Straining can bring on a hernia: the NHS names lifting heavy weights among the causes of a femoral hernia, a small lump at the top of the thigh in the groin. A femoral hernia with very bad tummy pain, being sick or not being able to fart or poo is a 999 call; any other hernia with pain in or around it needs NHS 111. Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain while pressing can be the heart, also a 999 call.

Numbness around your genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bowels, or weakness or numbness in both legs needs 999 or accident and emergency (A&E): the NHS lists these with back pain. All of these are rare.

Sources 19, 20, 21, 22

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

Not usually. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says don't routinely offer imaging for low back pain outside specialist care. In 3,110 people without back pain, disc bulges showed on scans in 30% at 20 and 84% at 80, so a scan report has to match your symptoms.

Tests matter with the warning signs, for a young lifter whose pain is worse arching back and doesn't settle within a couple of weeks, and for sudden pain after a minor strain in someone at risk of thin bones.

Sources 23, 24

How it usually goesStrong evidence

No study follows back pain from the overhead press. In new low back pain, average pain fell from 52 to 23 out of 100 within 6 weeks, to 12 at 26 weeks and 6 at a year, across 33 groups of people (11,166 in all); in pain that had already lasted a while, it fell from 51 to 33 at 6 weeks and 23 at a year. The NHS says back pain usually improves within a few weeks. In Swedish powerlifters, only 16% of those injured stopped training completely. No one can promise a date.

Sources 25, 22, 7

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Take the arch out: seated, half-kneeling, landmine or one armEmerging evidence

No study has tested a change to the overhead press for back pain. In 15 men pressing at 80% of their maximum, seated dumbbell presses lifted about 10% more than standing ones and standing dumbbells drew the most shoulder activity; trunk muscles weren't measured. In 30 trained people pressing seated, a Swiss ball lowered the weight lifted and made the upper back muscles work harder with a barbell.

So a seated press with an upright back support, a half-kneeling landmine press (which rises up and forward), and one arm at a time are swaps that need less overhead range and less from the lower back (our reading; the site's press guide and move page suggest pressing one arm at a time, at an incline or seated if you can't get overhead without arching). None has been tested in people with back pain.

Sources 26, 27, 3

Bracing and belts: stiffness in the lab, not proven protectionMixed evidence

Bracing stiffens the trunk in lab studies, so ribs down and a braced trunk are part of good pressing technique, but no trial shows bracing prevents back pain. Back belts didn't prevent low back pain (risk ratio 1.01, low to very low quality evidence), lumbar supports were no better than nothing for prevention across 7 trials, NICE says don't offer belts or corsets for low back pain, and belt users had more lower back injuries in one powerlifting survey.

Sources 13, 14, 28, 29, 23, 8

Exercise helps back pain, and lifting can be part of itStrong evidence

In long-lasting low back pain, exercise eased pain by about 15 points out of 100 against no treatment, usual care or placebo (249 trials, moderate certainty), with smaller gains in function. A network analysis of 217 trials found some types a little better than others and advised doing the exercise you enjoy; another ranked resistance training well for function, on low-quality evidence. Exercise with education lowered the risk of a new episode (risk ratio 0.55). NICE recommends encouraging normal activities and considering group exercise.

In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise. No trial has tested the overhead press as a treatment for back pain.

Sources 30, 31, 32, 28, 23, 33

Mobility drills: optional, not a cureEmerging evidence

Shoulder range went with the lower back arch in one study of a different posture, and the upper back extends when you raise your arms, so upper back and shoulder mobility work may help some people press without arching (our reading). No study tests mobility work against back pain in pressing, so it is optional; pressing within the range you have is the main change.

Sources 3, 2, 1

Medicines and scansStrong evidence

The NHS suggests anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen if it suits you, says paracetamol on its own isn't recommended for back pain, and suggests heat or cold. NICE says don't routinely image low back pain. Surgery has no role in ordinary back pain from training.

Sources 22, 23

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morningEmerging evidence

This guide uses the back hub's rule, as our other back movement guides do. Some discomfort during exercise is fine, and it does not mean you are doing damage. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do less next time (fewer reps, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing.

Leg symptoms are the exception: stop or shrink any movement that sends pain, pins and needles or numbness further down your leg. If leg symptoms move back towards your spine, that is a good sign, even if your back aches a little more for a while.

NHS inform's back exercises use the same bands (0 to 3 minimal pain, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and want your back no worse the morning after. The NHS back pain page is stricter about specific exercises: stop if your pain gets worse and see a GP for advice. In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

For pressing (our suggestion, built on these rules): judge each set by its last reps, and choose the press (seated with your back supported, a half-kneeling landmine press, one arm standing, dumbbells, then the bar), the load and the set length where your back stays at 5 out of 10 or less, settles within an hour and is no worse the next morning. If your back arches or cramps to finish reps, end the set. Pain or tingling down a leg, chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint isn't a pain-rule question: see the warning signs.

Sources 34, 22, 33

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep pressing without the arch

About the first 2 weeks: settle the pain without bed rest, keep the shoulders training with presses that don't need your lower back, and practise holding the ribs down. With a diagnosed condition (sciatica or a disc, a stress fracture of the spine, a hernia or a back operation), that guide's plan or your team's comes first.

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

5 to 10 minutes, several times a day · As in our back movement guides (editorial); walking outdoors counts the same. The NHS says stay active

Harder: Treadmill jogging

3D demoDead bugBeginner · No equipment

2 or 3 sets of 6 to 8 each side, your lower back resting on the floor, reaching only as far as it stays still · Editorial, as in our bench press and pull-up back guides; the reach limit is the move page's

Easier: Dead bug heel taps · Harder: Forearm plank

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

3 sets of 12, stopping with your hips in line with your thighs, before the ribs flare · Editorial, as in our bench press back guide; the cue is the move page's

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Seated dumbbell shoulder press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated dumbbell shoulder pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, on an upright back support with your back against it, palms facing in at first · Editorial, as in our shoulder press guide

Easier: Machine shoulder press · Harder: Push press

One-arm landmine jammer demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoOne-arm landmine jammerIntermediate · A barbell

Pressed half-kneeling without the leg dip, as a landmine press: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each arm · As in our shoulder press guide (editorial). The move page's own dose is for the jammer with the dip, which comes back last

Easier: Alternating front raise · Harder: Barbell clean and press

Foam roller thoracic extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFoam roller thoracic extensionBeginner · A foam roller

5 to 8 slow breaths at each of 3 or 4 spots along the upper back · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point). Optional, if your back arches to get the arms overhead; never under the lower back, and skip it with osteoporosis

Harder: Fish pose (Matsyasana)

Move on when: You can walk for 10 to 15 minutes, and 3 sets of seated and landmine presses pass the pain rule, with your back no worse the next morning (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Standing, one arm at a time, ribs down

About weeks 2 to 6, 2 or 3 sessions a week: press standing again where the trunk has to hold still, one side at a time, and build the trunk's endurance.

One-arm dumbbell shoulder press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoOne-arm dumbbell shoulder pressIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 12 each arm with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, your free hand on your tummy to feel the ribs stay down · Editorial; the move page says brace so the trunk doesn't tip

Easier: Machine shoulder press · Harder: Push press

Half-kneeling Pallof press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHalf-kneeling Pallof pressBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 presses each side, holding each for a breath · Editorial

Harder: Pallof press

Side plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipment

2 to 3 holds of 15 to 30 s each side · Editorial, as in our bench press back guide

Easier: Knee side plank · Harder: Side plank with leg lift

3D demoBird dogBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 each side, with 3 to 5 s holds · As in our back pain guides (editorial)

Easier: Bird dog, one limb at a time · Harder: Bear crawl

Wall angel demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall angelBeginner · A wall

2 sets of 8 to 10, keeping your lower back's gentle curve · Editorial, as in our upper back pain guide; the cue is the move page's

Easier: Table slide (seated forward reach) · Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

Suitcase carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSuitcase carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m each side · Editorial

Easier: Farmer's carry · Harder: Overhead carry (waiter's walk)

Move on when: 3 sets of one-arm standing presses pass the pain rule without leaning, with your back no worse the next morning, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to the bar

From about week 4 to 6, later after sciatica, 2 or 3 pressing sessions a week: your usual overhead press back, one change at a time, by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to overhead pressing after back pain, so the order is editorial.

Standing dumbbell shoulder press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding dumbbell shoulder pressIntermediate · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point)

Easier: Machine shoulder press · Harder: Behind-the-neck press

Standing overhead press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding overhead pressIntermediate · A barbell + A dumbbell

The empty bar for 3 sets of 5, then add 1 to 1.25 kg a session while every rep is strict, or start at about half your old working weight · As in our shoulder press guide (editorial)

Easier: Anti-gravity press · Harder: Push press

Overhead carry (waiter's walk) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoOverhead carry (waiter's walk)Intermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

2 to 3 walks of 15 to 20 m each arm, light · Editorial; the move page says carry the weight at your side instead if your lower back arches

Easier: Suitcase carry · Harder: Yoke walk

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Harder: Suitcase carry

Kettlebell deadlift demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKettlebell deadliftBeginner · A kettlebell

3 sets of 10, building the bell · As in our leg press back guide (editorial)

Easier: Hip-hinge practice · Harder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Move on when: Your usual pressing sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks; then bring back heavier sets, then push presses and jerks if your sport needs them, then heavy singles. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your press for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show your ribs, how hard you brace or how far you lean back. These steps come from the site's overhead press guide and move pages, lab studies, NICE and the NHS; no trial has tested a change to the press for back pain, and each step names its source or says it is our suggestion.

1. Ribs and glutes: squeeze your glutes and brace with your ribs down before each rep, and keep your back tall (the site's overhead press guide).
2. No leaning back: if a rep stalls, lower the bar to your shoulders or the safety arms rather than arching to grind it out (the site's overhead press guide).
3. Load: a weight you can press for 8 to 12 reps with 2 or 3 to spare, and no heavy singles for now (editorial).
4. Seated for now: an upright back support, not a reclined one, with your back against it; you lift more seated, and it suits a sore back for now (the site's guide; a lab study).
5. Half-kneeling or one arm: kneeling on one knee with that side's glute squeezed takes much of the arch out, and one arm at a time is the move page's advice if you can't get overhead without arching (our suggestion; the move page).
6. Breathing: breathe in and brace before each rep, and breathe out as the bar passes your forehead or at the top (the site's overhead press guide). Bracing stiffens the trunk in lab studies, but isn't proven to prevent pain.
7. Belts: not for back pain (NICE).
8. The rest of your week: fewer heavy squat and deadlift days while your back is sore (our reading).
9. Today: stay active and don't stay in bed for long, take ibuprofen if it suits you, and use heat or cold (the NHS).

Sources 26, 13, 14, 23, 22

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how overhead pressing comes back after back pain, so these steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. One change at a time: one arm standing, then two dumbbells, then the bar, then more weight, then push presses, jerks and heavy singles.
2. Add about 5% to 10% at a time, after a session that passed the pain rule.
3. Bring heavy squat and deadlift days back gradually alongside, not all at once.
4. Overhead jobs at home and work, such as lifting boxes onto shelves or painting a ceiling: use steps to bring the load closer, keep your ribs down, and share heavy loads.
5. Throwing, racket and overhead sports come back as the press passes the pain rule; a teenager who arches in sport and whose pain lasts needs checking first, as the warning signs say.
6. Sleep in whatever position is comfortable, and keep walking and moving often (the NHS).

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Leaning back to grind out the last reps	It arches the lower back and turns the press towards an incline press, the site's press guide says.	Lower the weight, or press seated with your back supported.Try: Seated dumbbell shoulder press
Ribs flaring as the bar passes your face	The arch starts there; the site's press guide says brace with your ribs down.	Glutes squeezed and ribs down, one arm at a time.Try: One-arm dumbbell shoulder press
Pressing heavy on a back already sore from squats and deadlifts	It adds load to a sore back (our reading).	Fewer heavy lower body days for now.
Push presses, jerks and heavy singles while it's sore	Heavier loads overhead (editorial).	A half-kneeling landmine press without the dip.Try: One-arm landmine jammer
A reclined seat that lets you slide into an arch	The move page says keep your back against the support.	An upright back support.Try: Seated dumbbell shoulder press
Overhead carries with an arching back	The move page says carry the weight at your side instead if your lower back arches.	A suitcase carry.Try: Suitcase carry
Pressing on through pain or tingling down a leg	That is a nerve, and the back hub's rule says stop or shrink the movement.	A seated press, and get it assessed.
Relying on a belt to press through pain	NICE doesn't offer belts or corsets for low back pain, and belts didn't prevent back pain in trials.	Lighter sets with your ribs down.
Bed rest, or stopping all exercise	The NHS says stay active and don't stay in bed for long periods.	Walking and the stage 1 moves.Try: Treadmill walking

Routines to follow

Overhead press technique workout

A 30-minute practice session for the overhead press: check your overhead reach, groove it with a band and seated dumbbells, then press the empty bar.

30 minBeginner9 movesA band, A wall

Landmine workout: presses, rows and rotations with one barbell

A 40-minute landmine session with one barbell anchored in a landmine or a corner: kneeling and standing presses, rows, rotations and shoulder care.

40 minIntermediate13 movesA band, A barbell

Beginner core workout

A 15-minute beginner core workout on the floor: dead bugs, bird dogs, knee planks, side planks and curl-ups.

15 minBeginner6 movesNo equipment

McGill big 3 core routine

The McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.

12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipment

Lower back strengthening workout: bird dogs to supermans, no equipment

A 20-minute floor workout for your back muscles: bird dogs and bridges, then a face-down ladder from the locust to the superman, with side planks and dead bugs.

20 minBeginner13 movesNo equipment

Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band)

A 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.

25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A band

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my lower back hurt when I overhead press?

Usually your lower back arching to finish the rep, because the weight is heavy, you're tired, or your shoulders and upper back don't reach fully overhead. No study has measured it, so that is our reading. Ribs down, glutes squeezed, a lighter weight and no leaning back usually help.

Should my back arch when I overhead press?

Only a little: keep your back tall and press with your arms, because leaning back turns the press towards an incline press. If you can't get overhead without arching, press one arm at a time, seated or on a landmine for now.

Is the seated shoulder press better for my lower back?

It can be for now: you lift more with your trunk supported. Use an upright back support and keep your back against it; standing presses come back as it settles. No study shows seated presses prevent back pain.

Why does my back hurt on the seated shoulder press?

Often the seat is reclined or you slide forward and arch away from the pad, or the weight is too heavy. Sit tall with your back on the support, lighten the weight and stop 2 or 3 reps short.

How do I stop arching on the overhead press?

Brace with your ribs down and squeeze your glutes before each rep, use a weight you can press without leaning, and practise one arm at a time or half-kneeling. Bracing stiffens the trunk in lab studies, though it isn't proven to prevent pain.

Does a belt help for the overhead press?

Not for back pain: belts didn't prevent back pain in trials, and NICE doesn't offer them for low back pain. A lighter weight with your ribs down matters more.

Is a landmine press good for lower back pain?

It is a common swap because it rises up and forward, so you don't need full overhead range. No study has tested it in back pain, so treat it as a starting point, not a treatment.

Is it a disc or a stress fracture?

Most back pain on the press is ordinary back pain. Pain down a leg past the knee points to a nerve, and a teenager or young adult whose back hurts more arching back and doesn't settle within a couple of weeks needs checking for a stress fracture.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not: NICE says don't routinely image low back pain, and disc changes are common in backs that don't hurt. A scan matters with the warning signs, or for a young lifter whose pain is worse arching back and doesn't settle.

How long will it take?

No one can promise a date. New back pain usually eases a lot within 6 weeks, and the NHS says it usually improves within a few weeks.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble, weakness in both legs, or shoulder or arm pain with chest pain. Get a same-day check for back pain with a fever, and see a GP if it isn't better after a few weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

How to overhead press guide

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.