Incline press a good sub for overhead?

[uclaLabrat]

My wife isn't quite strong enough to overhead press the bar, so I'm wondering if the inclined press is a good enough sub to get her arm strength up a bit.

 

[darkxshade]

Well if the bar is too heavy, give her 2 phone books to overhead press(assuming you don't have free weights)

 

[MotF Bane]

Do you have any dumbbells?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Do you have any dumbbells?

Winner. Use dumbbells.

 

[cliftonite]

Why not start with a 15lb bar?

 

[tedrodai]

I wouldn't call it a good substitution for overhead, but you can use incline bench as one tool to increase deltoid/tricep strength to the point where you can finally work on overhead press, if you don't have access to lighter dumbells as was mentioned above.

You can slowly increase the incline til she can do the full overhead.

 

[bononos]

My wife isn't quite strong enough to overhead press the bar, so I'm wondering if the inclined press is a good enough sub to get her arm strength up a bit.

Yep and its a decent substitute for the ohp to work around minor shoulder injuries which make overheads discomforting.

The suggestion about telephone books makes sense. I'm assuming you didn't already use a lighter/womens bar or dumbells for some reason.

 

[elitejp]

I hate overhead barbell presses unless its the olympic style where your standing up. Dumbells just feel so much better when sitting down. If the bar is the only thing you have why not just spot her.

 

[surfsatwerk]

It's a good idea to lift things over your head. And if you're going to go to the trouble of putting something over your head you might as well be standing when you do it. You are exercising, presumably, for the purpose of getting stronger. Sitting down or laying down does not make you stronger.