Stand up and press the world overhead.
Squeeze your glutes and brace your core so you press with your shoulders, not your lower back.
Pressing from standing means there is no bench to hide behind, your whole body has to become the platform while the delts drive both dumbbells overhead and the triceps close out the lockout. Each arm carries its own weight, so a lazy side gets found out immediately. It builds shoulders and honest overhead strength at the same time, which is why it is worth the harder setup.
Seated lets you press more weight because the bench braces you. Standing costs you a little load but trains the bracing and full-body control that make overhead strength usable. If you can only keep one, standing is the more complete exercise.
Your body is creating an incline press because the strict version is too heavy. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs before the first rep, and drop the weight until the dumbbells travel straight up while your torso stays stacked.
Bring them close but stop just short of clanking. Slamming them together bleeds tension at the exact point the delts should be squeezing, and it usually means the top of the rep has turned into a throw.
