How to Do a Viking Press

The 1 Full-Body Strength-Training Move Most People Neglect, According to This Trainer

2 August 2018 by Nicole Yi

Ready to meet an all-around smart exercise that offers a laundry list of amazing benefits? Great, let's talk about the viking press, a versatile move that Westin's Global Run Concierge Chris Heuisler says is one people shouldn't neglect. The viking press is essentially a kneeling, twisted-overhead press. Here are several reasons you should incorporate it into your workouts, according to Chris:

It works your butt and core (especially your external obliques).
It naturally tones your shoulders.
It moves you transversely.
It elevates your heart rate.

Sounds awesome, right? Most of your power comes from the transverse (horizontal) plane, making rotational movements especially important in your workouts. For example, a straight jab doesn't generate as much power as a hook would because it doesn't generate as much momentum. But according to Chris, "We don't move like that anymore. If you've ever seen kids move, what they're not doing is what we're doing every day, which is going in a straight path. That's actually to our disadvantage."

The viking press helps combat that as it calls for a complete rotation and lengthens your entire body. "I'm teaching my body how to stabilize in transverse," he told POPSUGAR. "My right glute has to connect to my core to make this work, otherwise if that's off, my stability is off. You have to have stability before you have mobility."

How to Do It

Begin in a kneeling lunge, keeping your left leg bent in a 90-degree angle and your right leg bent perpendicular to the ground.
Hold a dumbbell slightly in front of your chest.
Squeeze your glute, open your hip, and rotate your body to the left side, reaching up for the ceiling.
Come back down in a slow, controlled movement to the front.