The Z-Press: Building Strong Shoulders From the Ground Up
Part 2 of the upper body strength-building series
Many exercises allow us to compensate for mobility limitations, poor posture, or inadequate core strength.
The Z-Press does not.
Named after legendary strongman Zydrunas Savickas, the Z-Press is performed seated on the floor with the legs extended while pressing a weight overhead. At first glance, it looks like a simple shoulder exercise. In reality, it is a full-body movement that challenges shoulder strength, trunk stability, posture, and mobility simultaneously.
The Z-Press can be an excellent tool for developing overhead strength while improving the movement quality that often becomes more important with age.
What Is the Z-Press?
The Z-Press is an overhead press performed from a long-sitting position on the floor.
The athlete sits upright with both legs extended in front of the body and presses a pair of dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell overhead without back support.
Because the lower body cannot contribute to the movement, the shoulders, trunk, and postural muscles must do all the work.
How to Perform the Movement
Sit on the floor with legs extended.
Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with wrists stacked over elbows.
Sit tall on the sit bones with the ribs stacked over the pelvis.
Brace the abdominal muscles as if preparing for a punch.
Press the weights straight overhead until the arms are fully extended.
Lower under control to the starting position.
Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement.
A useful coaching cue is:
“Grow tall through the crown of your head while keeping your ribs down.”
Why Z-Press?
Develops Functional Overhead Strength
Many daily and athletic activities require us to place objects overhead. The Z-Press strengthens the muscles responsible for safe and efficient overhead movement while reinforcing proper mechanics.
Builds Core Stability
As we age, maintaining trunk strength becomes increasingly important for balance, force transfer, and injury resilience. The Z-Press requires continuous activation of the core musculature throughout every repetition.
Encourages Better Posture
The upright seated position promotes thoracic extension and postural awareness while discouraging excessive lumbar arching. Many athletes find that improving their Z-Press technique carries over to other pressing movements.
Exposes Weak Links
The Z-Press quickly reveals limitations in mobility, stability, or overhead control that may otherwise remain hidden during standing exercises. Identifying these limitations provides an opportunity to address them before they contribute to injury.
Safety Considerations
Individuals with significant shoulder pain, rotator cuff pathology, limited shoulder mobility, or difficulty sitting upright with legs extended should modify the movement.
Modifications and Alternatives
If the full Z-Press is not yet accessible, try using a lighter weight or consider these alternatives:
The Bottom Line
The Z-Press is far more than a shoulder exercise. It combines strength, stability, posture, and mobility into a single movement. It offers an opportunity to build resilient overhead strength while identifying and correcting movement limitations that may impact long-term athletic performance.
Sometimes the most valuable exercises are not the ones that allow us to lift the most weight—they are the ones that teach us to move the best.
Like last week, this week’s workout focuses on upper body and core strengthening using kettlebell swings, plank holds, and incorporating the Z-press - with a cardio/plyometric kicker with the jump rope. Enjoy!
Warm Up
TABATA (8-minute) 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. You will perform each set of 2 movements for 4 times.
TIP! If you have Spotify, search “Tabata” and you will find some fun playlists for 8 rounds of 20 work / 10 rest intervals.
Air squats (Perform for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds)… then…
Easy push-up option (Perform for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds…then back to the air squats)
Once you finish the TABATA, perform 15 weighted Good Mornings
Movement Practice
Each round is ideally performed unbroken or in 2 sets with a quick breath or two of rest in between.
For the kettlebell swing, select a moederate weight where the 12 repetitions can be performed, ideally, unbroken.
For the Z press, select y your movement option with a moderate weight where the 10 repetitions can be done in 1-2 sets.
Lastly, choose single under or double under options if you have a jump rope. If not, jumping jacks suffice. For a little more intensity, try the lateral jump (or step) over a dumbbell.
Workout
AMRAP 15 minutes (As many rounds as possible for 15 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds of the 4 movements as possible in 15 minutes.
12 Kettlebell swings - swing to eye-level or overhead (advanced).
10 Z-Press
60 single under jump rope (or 30 double-unders) - no rope? Try a simulated jump rope
20 second plank hold (choose a low plank as shown, or a high plank hold)
SCORE: Number of rounds and repetitions performed in 15 minutes.
Cool Down
Jumpstart your recovery with a little love for those hard-working shoulders with this 20-minute Neck and Shoulder Tension Release sequence from Five Parks Yoga. #dontskiptheyoga
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From the Archives….
Inside Sports Nutrition Podcast: Hormones and Female Physiology with Dr. Carla DiGirolamo - Ep. #69 – Dina Griffin/Bob Seebohar
Fit Womens Weekly Podcast: Should Workouts Change As You Get Older? Dr. Carla DiGirolamo Breaks It All Down - Kindal Boyle
This is a tough exercise. The modifications are really helpful. As always - great info.
Very underappreciated exercise - thanks for sharing! A good reminder that the best exercises/lifts are those that target the entire system, not an individual muscle group.