The barbell shoulder press has a bad reputation for causing pain or injury. As usual though, the exercise is great; it's the people that are the problem!

Pain and injury from shoulder pressing are generally caused by not having the prerequisite flexibility to do the movement safely, such as:

1. Limited shoulder flexion. This causes you to press the weight too far forward, or to have an arch in your lower back to compensate.

2. Limited thoracic/upper back mobility. This restricts scapula movement, again causing the barbell to travel forward.

3. One shoulder has more mobility than the other. This can cause anything from a subtle imbalance to a major twist during pressing.

One of the most effective ways to test the flexibility required for an overhead press is with this lat stretch variation. – Tom Morrison