I contributed to Women’s Health for a feature on the Z press, a demanding floor-based shoulder press that removes leg drive and forces the shoulders, core and postural muscles to work much harder.
The exercise is named after legendary strongman Žydrūnas Savickas, or “Big Z”, and it is one of those movements that can feel far harder than it looks.
You sit on the floor with your legs extended and press a weight overhead without back support or help from the lower body.
That simplicity is exactly what makes it challenging.
Why the Z press is so demanding
With your legs taken largely out of the equation, there is nowhere to hide.
Your shoulders and triceps have to produce the pressing force, while your core and spinal stabilisers work to keep you upright.
At the same time, the position can expose limitations in shoulder mobility, upper-back extension and hip flexibility.
That combination is why I described it to Women’s Health as a very humbling movement.
Someone can be strong in a traditional shoulder press and still find the Z press surprisingly difficult.
Start lighter than you think
One of my main recommendations is to begin with a lighter weight than you would normally use for pressing.
I would generally start with dumbbells because they allow each arm to move independently and make it easier to learn the position.
Before worrying about load, get comfortable sitting tall, keeping your ribs controlled and pressing overhead without leaning backwards.
Once the movement feels stable and repeatable, the weight can gradually increase.
Progressions and regressions
The Z press can be adjusted depending on ability.
A useful regression is to perform the press seated on a bench, where you have more support.
A standing shoulder press can also be easier from a stability perspective because the legs and feet help maintain balance.
For someone looking to make the exercise more demanding, one option I discussed with Women’s Health is performing the press while seated on a Swiss ball.
The unstable surface adds another layer of core control, although that progression should only come once the basic movement is well established.
Common mistakes
Like most overhead pressing movements, the Z press becomes less useful when the weight is too heavy.
One of the biggest mistakes is over-arching the lower back to create the appearance of more overhead range.
That shifts the position away from the shoulders and increases unnecessary movement through the lumbar spine.
Another common issue is losing balance because the load is beyond what the core, hips and spinal stabilisers can manage.
I also highlighted elbow position and shoulder-blade control.
The elbows should not flare excessively, and the shoulder blades need to move in a controlled way rather than simply being shrugged upwards or allowed to lose position.
The goal is a stable press, not just getting the weight overhead by any means possible.
Is it better than a normal shoulder press?
I would not call the Z press universally better.
It is simply a different tool.
A supported seated shoulder press allows you to use more load because the back support reduces the demand on your core and posture.
The Z press asks much more from the rest of the body.
That can make it useful for developing shoulder strength alongside core control, mobility and body awareness.
But the best choice still depends on the individual, their goals and what they can perform well.
A useful exercise when it suits the person
The Z press is not an exercise everyone needs to do.
But for someone with the mobility and control to perform it well, it can be a very effective way to make overhead pressing more demanding without simply adding more weight.
That is often the value of exercises like this.
They give us another way to challenge the body while improving the quality of movement at the same time.
You can read my full contribution in Women’s Health.
Joseph Webb
Expert coaching. Entirely personal.
Chartered Personal Trainer | FRSPH | FCIMSPA
