The swiss bar has traditionally been heavily associated with the swiss bar bench press. However, many people do not realize that many of the same benefits also apply to the overhead press. Not only with the swiss bar overhead press add much-needed variation it will protect your shoulders so you can work out pain-free.
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What Is A Swiss Bar?
The swiss bar (also known as the football bar or multi-grip bar) is a type of specialty bar that has a series of neutral grip options within the bar.
The neutral grips of the bar make it easier to stack your wrists over your elbows, minimizing wrist pain. With the neutral grip, the elbows also naturally tuck in and put your shoulders in a less vulnerable position.
Do I Need To Do Overhead Presses?
No, you technically do not need to do any exercise. But I would argue that you are heavily missing out if you are not doing any kind of overhead pressing whether that be caused by injury or laziness.
A common argument made by those who argue against overhead presses is that the delts already get enough work in if you are bench pressing. Sure, the delts are worked hard during flat benches but this does not mean you should leave gains on the table by neglecting your overhead work.
It has been proven time and time again that nothing triggers hypertrophy in your delts quite like in the overhead press. Aside from the studies, I can speak from experience when I tell you that my delts blew up like never before when I started getting really strong at pushing weight over my head.
If you are limited in this respect, this is understandable. Shoulder pain can be very hard to deal with, but the swiss bar may allow you to press weight again if you give it a try.
Benefits Of The Swiss Bar Overhead Press
Here is why you should add this great variation to your routine:
Shoulder Saver
The swiss bar forces your arms to tuck in next to your body which is a much safer position for the shoulders. Not only that, the variety of grip options means that you can find the grips that feel the best for your individual build.
Given how common shoulder injuries are among the lifting community, you want to do everything in your power to protect your shoulders.
Wrists Are Stable
One of the most common technical mistakes during the overhead press is allowing the wrists to collapse backward. Not only will this make it harder to lift the weight but it can also lead to wrist pain over time.
With a swiss bar, your wrists are locked into position and stacked directly over the elbows during the lift. This stable position minimizes the risk of a wrist injury.
Targets Delts Pain-Free
As we have already established, the shoulder press works your shoulder joint like no other exercise really can. Considering how crucial the delts are for acquiring a strong, masculine look you need to be overhead pressing in some way.
The swiss bar allows you to target your delts without the shoulder pain that may plague your workouts currently.
Stronger Triceps
Since your elbows will be tucked in close to your body during the movement, your triceps are going to be more heavily engaged. Use of the swiss bar can therefore lead to stronger triceps and better lockout strength across all pressing motions.
More Variation
With enough time, anyone will experience a plateau on the straight bar overhead press. With a swiss bar, you get another variation that you can add to your rotation so that you avoid stalls in progress.
The slight change in form and muscle recruitment provided by the swiss bar is enough to stimulate new muscle growth and help you push through plateaus.
Inexpensive
Compared to other specialty bars, the swiss bar is fairly cheap. You can easily pick one up for under $200 from a quality brand. Given how versatile these bars are, I consider them no-brainers for home gyms.
How To Do The Swiss Bar Overhead Press
Video Guide
Swiss Bar Overhead Press Step-By-Step Guide
Set the rack and bar up
Get into a shoulder press position
Unrack the bar
Press the bar
Lower the weight
The exercise may feel weird at first but that is perfectly normal. The more sets and reps you get in, the more natural it will feel.
Swiss Bar vs. Straight Bar Overhead Press
There are a few key differences between the swiss and straight bar variations:
You Will Be Weaker With A Swiss Bar
Do not expect to lift as much with a swiss bar as you can with a regular barbell. This is because more of the load is taken off your shoulder and placed on the tricep. Your tricep will not be able to produce the same amount of force so you will lift less. You also have to consider that your body has to work harder to balance and stabilize this bar as well.
This is not really a bad thing as it allows you to get more out of less weight. As long as you are training hard, you should still see shoulder gains and direct strength carryover to straight bar presses.
You should also be aware that depending on the swiss bar you use, the bar can weigh more or less than a regular barbell.
More Tricep Activation
As we have already discussed, the tucked elbows mean that more of the weight is placed on your triceps. This is exactly what you want if you are trying to address muscular imbalances or improve lockout strength.
No Knurling
Most swiss bars will not have any knurling on the grips. Since these swiss bars were developed primarily for pressing, it makes sense. Knurling is usually used to help with grip on deadlifts or rows.
The lack of knurling can feel weird at first, but it should not really impact your grip.
Less Pain
For the vast majority of people, the swiss bar will provide some relief if they suffer from wrist or shoulder pain.
Why Not Just Use Dumbbells?
Another common solution provided to those that cannot do the straight bar overhead press is to simply switch over to dumbbells. For many people, I think that this is good advice as dumbbells provide many of the same benefits as the swiss bar. With dumbbells, you can control the path of the weight so you can keep your elbows tucked while minimizing stress on the shoulders.
If you have access to both, I think both the swiss bar and dumbbells variation of the shoulder press are great variations. However, I still the swiss bar is useful for the following reasons:
Most Home Gym Owners Do Not Have Dumbbells
A full dumbbell set can be very expensive. Most home gym owners do not have the space or budget to get dumbbells. Meanwhile, most already have a squat rack, bench, and weight plates. Since swiss bars are relatively inexpensive, they can get all of the same benefits for much cheaper.
Total Weight Overload
If you want to go really heavy, the swiss bar is superior to dumbbells. Dumbbells require more stabilization and will simply not allow you to lift as heavy as you can with a swiss bar.
Final Thoughts
If you struggle with shoulder pain but still want to maximize your shoulder gains and strength, the swiss bar overhead press is a great solution. The neutral grips ensure that your shoulders are stable and safe. If you are ready to make the jump, check out some of the best swiss bars on the market.
Find The Best Swiss Bar
After weeks of testing, we have compiled a list of the best swiss multi-grip bars on the market
FAQs
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Daniel Mesa, CPT, is a trusted fitness expert and founder of FitDominium. With his extensive experience and commitment to helping others, Daniel is the go-to source for reliable fitness advice and recommendations.