Upper body movements live on two axes
Horizontal: bench press, row, push-up. The arm moves perpendicular to the spine. Vertical: overhead press, pull-up. The arm moves parallel to the spine.
Most balanced programs include both axes in both pressing and pulling. Most unbalanced programs (think: bench-only bros) ignore vertical pulling and develop shoulder issues.
The bench press
Mechanics: bar travels from chest (slightly above nipple line) to lockout over shoulders. Elbows track at 60-75° from torso (not 90° — that's the shoulder-impingement angle).
Bar should not bounce off the chest. The pectorals stretch under tension at the bottom — that's where hypertrophy happens. A bounce wastes the stretch.
Grip width affects what gets emphasized:
- Wide grip: more pec, less triceps
- Close grip: more triceps, less pec
- Medium grip (forearms vertical at bar touch): balanced
The overhead press
The vertical press is the most demanding shoulder movement in the gym. To press straight overhead without back hyperextension requires:
- Adequate thoracic extension
- Adequate shoulder flexion ROM
- Lat flexibility
- Core anti-extension strength
The row
Bent-over barbell row, dumbbell row, cable row, inverted row — all horizontal pulls. The cue that matters most: lead with the elbow, not the hand. Hand-led rows recruit biceps. Elbow-led rows recruit lats and mid-back.
Most clients also need to retract scaps without shrugging up. The scap moves toward the spine — not toward the ceiling.
The pull-up
The hardest commonly programmed bodyweight exercise. Most clients can't do one cold. Build to it with: 1. Scap pull-ups (scap retraction at the hang, no elbow bend) 2. Inverted rows 3. Negative pull-ups (jump up, lower slowly, 5-second count) 4. Banded pull-ups 5. Full pull-ups
Wide-grip pull-ups emphasize lats. Close-grip emphasizes mid-back and biceps. Neutral grip is gentlest on shoulders.
Diagnosing shoulder pain
Pain during overhead pressing usually means:
- Limited thoracic extension (fix mobility)
- Glenohumeral instability (rotator-cuff prehab)
- Impingement (avoid the painful angle, retrain scap rhythm)
Programming balance
For every horizontal press, program one horizontal pull. For every vertical press, program one vertical pull. Most clients arrive with a 3:1 press:pull imbalance — fix it before they get hurt.
TL;DR
Two axes (horizontal, vertical), two directions (push, pull). Bench: elbow angle 60-75°, no bounce. OHP: needs thoracic mobility — don't compensate with low-back arch. Rows: lead with the elbow. Always balance presses with pulls.