Sots Press

The Sots Press is an overhead press done from a deep squat while holding a barbell in the front-rack position. It mainly trains shoulder and upper-back strength, while also challenging your core, triceps, and total-body mobility and stability.

Set your feet in a comfortable squat stance and lower into a deep squat. Hold the barbell across the front of your shoulders with your elbows high and your hands just outside shoulder width. Keep your chest tall and your torso as upright as possible.

Brace your midsection, then press the bar straight up until your arms are locked out overhead. Keep the bar balanced over the middle of your feet. Lower the bar back to the front-rack position with control and repeat while staying in the squat.

Breathe in and tighten your core before each rep. To make it easier, practice from a standing front-rack or a higher squat while you build mobility. To make it harder, sink deeper or add a pause at the bottom. Keep the load light - this movement is a mobility and stability test, not a max-strength press.

Do not force the bar overhead; if your shoulders or upper back cannot keep you upright, reduce the depth or range of motion.

Fault: You lean forward or drop your chest as you press. Fix: keep your chest tall and torso upright throughout the rep; if you cannot stay upright, squat less deep or reduce the load.

Fault: Your elbows drop and the bar drifts away from your shoulders. Fix: keep the elbows high in the front-rack and press the bar straight up, not out in front.

Fault: The bar finishes behind or in front of your center of balance. Fix: aim to finish with the bar over the middle of your feet, with active shoulders and armpits turned slightly forward.

Fault: You push into a range you cannot comfortably control. Fix: press only through a range you own without compensation, and build thoracic and shoulder mobility before chasing more depth or weight.