When I first started, I quickly started push pressing...
Since then, I've deloaded and do the strict press (which I find more satisfying), and that is followed by a couple of sets of push pressing. I really like overhead pressing. Even with tiny weights (27.5kgs for strict.... 35kgs for push). Which is not bad considering most of the big guys also don't OHP as much as I would have expected.

Anyway, you might find this interesting:
http://thestrongroom.com.au/blog/crossfit/strict-or-push-press

Strict press
Even though I have never gotten over 60 lbs. Push press feels like cheating :P

i like the strict press too. i think originally i had push-press plans because my main reference for everything was starting strength and rippetoe's step-by-step had the hip bounce built in.

i could never get it coordinated and i really didn't like the feeling of maybe not having full control of my back curve throughout, so i've ended up doing strict presses because for me they're actually easier. maybe not in terms of absolute weight, but definitely in terms of feeling like the form is simpler and therefore easier for me to keep clean.

mid/upper back and my thoracic/lumbar spinal junction are my risk zone, so ohp isn't a lift where i feel like taking a lot of chances. if i can't do it with strict form, i'm seriously happy not to do it at all.

scrittrice wrote: »

I never feel as if I get the hip bounce right either, but I always thought it was knee bending that made it a push press. Need to reread Rippetoe.

nah, i think you're right. i always oversimplify by thinking anything that involves movement south of the bar is a 'push'. he definitely doesn't advocate any kind of knee bend; it's just a taut-bowstring kind of bounce off the hip flexors and core.

I do both in my workouts, but strictly strength-wise I keep my main sets as strict with form as I can. I'll occasionally accidentally bounce a rep when going for max reps in which case I don't "count" the rep, ha!

As far as the muscles worked, they're pretty much the same shoulder-wise, the push press just incorporates more muscles which is why you can use more weight.

They technically complement each other. They each have little things that carry over to other lifts as well, so it's really not a black and white picture. Whichever you feel more comfortable with is fine for recreation lifting purposes (But I do find the strict press PRs are more satisfying, too)