LOG PRESS: UNLOCKING OVERHEAD POWER WITH PERCISION, NOT JUST GRIT

When most lifters approach the log press, they treat it like a thicker, clumsier overhead press. That’s the first mistake.

This isn’t just a barbell with handles. The log press is a technical strongman lift that demands you to understand leverage, bracing and biomechanics — not just brute strength.

In this article, I’m going to walk you through the key differences between the log press and traditional overhead work, where most athletes go wrong, and how something as small as your head position can make or break your lift.

What Makes the Log Press Unique?

If you’ve only ever done strict or push presses with a barbell or dumbbell, the log will surprise you in a few ways:

1. Neutral Grip: The log’s handles are vertical, forcing a neutral hand position. This shifts emphasis slightly toward the triceps and upper back, while reducing shoulder external rotation.

2. Thicker Front Rack: You’re not resting this on your delts like a barbell. The log is wide, heavy, and awkward. A strong upper back and good thoracic extension are essential to control it in the rack position.

3. Total-Body Timing: You don’t just unrack and press. You lap the log, clean it to your chest, extend through your thoracic, brace hard, and then initiate leg drive into a coordinated press. Technique is king.

4. Pressing Angle: Because of the shape and rack position, you’re naturally leaning back more than in a standard overhead press—which leads to an interesting shift in muscular involvement.

Thoracic Extension: Why It Matters

Let’s talk about a detail most lifters overlook: head and thoracic positioning during the press.

I cue every athlete the exact same way:

“Keep your head back until the log is locked out — then drive your head through.”

Here’s why that matters:

With the head back and chest extended, you create a slightly inclined press angle, which brings the clavicular (upper) pecs into the movement — something not present in a strict vertical press.

This stacked position also recruits the anterior delts, upper traps, and triceps more efficiently.

You keep the bar path straight and vertical, reducing wasted energy.

If you push your head through too early, you risk throwing the log forward — bad leverage and bad news.

Put simply:

Head back and thoracic extension don’t just improve your posture — they increase your pressing output.

Technical Tips for a Stronger Log Press

Here’s the coaching checklist I give to every athlete I coach:

1. Lap with Purpose: Don’t just yank it off the pads. Sit the log deep in your lap, squeeze your lats, sit all the way down into a deep squat and prepare to explode with the quads and hips.

2. Clean with Focus: Time your drive out of the hole, hip extension and shrug to launch the log into the front rack. Elbows high and chest proud.

3. Extend and Brace Like You’re Taking a Punch: If you lose core tension, you leak force. An efficient rack position should have the log feeling weightless. Brace hard before the press.

4. Use Leg Drive: This isn’t a strict press contest. Dip, drive, and transfer power from the ground up. If you lose your brace the log will spill forward.

5. Keep Your Head Back Until Lockout: This cue alone cleans up 80% of press mechanics. Let the log pass your head before punching through.

6. Finish Fully: Lock out the elbows, shrug at the top, and pause to show control.

Final Thoughts: Strongman Isn’t Just Strength — It’s Skill

The log press rewards lifters who move well under load. If you treat it like a sloppy brute-force lift, you’ll stall. If you train it like a skill, you’ll start putting up serious numbers.

Every inch of that lift — from the lap to the lockout — is an opportunity to either leak energy or generate power.

So the next time you approach the log, don’t just "press harder." Press smarter.

Train hard,

James Morley

JMSTRENGTH