I think it comes from this ROI thought process around training: where can I put my training “dollar” that’s guaranteed the best return? Much like diversifying our portfolio, though, it’s not an either “maximum return” or “worthless,” as you point out.
I would agree. I don’t think any of this is rocket surgery.
But I still don’t like overhead pressing.
Wasn’t there an article here about Robert DeNero talking about this while filiming Raging Bull?
Haven’t seen that one (article)
this isn’t really that controversial. Mike Isratel isn’t a fan either. The risk to reward for muscle building is quite high
Something about he he built muscle and filmed the ripped scenes first, then took a break and gained a bunch of fat, because he knew it was easier to lose it than gain muscle.
Or maybe I have it backwards. I’ll look for it.
Maybe …but damn they are fun. 
Honestly… flat pressing has normally had the reputation of being a shoulder killer. Guess ill need to check the video out.
going heavy and high volume standing overhead press also puts pressure on lower back
To gain weight: find food, buy food, eat food
To lose weight:
The difference in effort seems pretty clear to me. 
Especially if you’re never hungry, and never have cravings. (That’s the actual experience, not a hypothetical.)
Most people I’ve known who have trouble losing weight have a sweet tooth. Most people I’ve known who have trouble gaining weight don’t.
My personal experience when younger was that both eating and sleeping were annoying interruptions. They always took me away from whatever I wanted to be doing.
Eventually I would get to a point where I was unable to function, so it was really annoying. Something like Mountain Dew/Dr. Pepper was a good solution to keep going and delay both. Then eventually a big meal and crash. And repeat.
I was bit more balanced than that, but I shared my dorms with many who weren’t.
If done incorrectly perhaps but OHP is just fine.
I struggle to gain weight, but it is psychological for me having been a fat kid.
I also have a low tolerance for fat people, having been a fat kid.
My brother was an ER doctor, Stanford grad, very bright. We called him Dr. Warmth because he was pretty harsh with his family (great with patients, brutally honest with family).
My father is morbidly obese - diabetic, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc…
When my dad got started on his health issues, Dr. Warmth would tell him, “Just shut your pie hole.”
Well ill watch the video. I have a feeling i might disagree with him on some point.
But honestly as @marine77 points out the risk of spinal injury is low if proper form is used. Going down that path… there’s other lifts that are more risky IMO.
Especially with many OHP options that can be done with back support, e.g., seated behind the neck press with a chair back. If those damage your spine, you should probably avoid squats and deadlifts, where you could be using double or triple the weight.
His criticism is basically limited to ohp being misused as an ego lift and that there are much more efficient exercises for hypertrophy.
I personally much prefer ohp to bench press but I don’t care about hypertrophy in general
I miss my Viking Press…
Genuine question - why do you lift?
For reference, when you get bigger, you get stronger.
When you get stronger, you get bigger.
I lift to get stronger, specifically in squat and deadlift. If training towards that goal
requires gaining muscle, great, but I’m not doing extra work or doing accessory exercises just to “get big” the way a lot of others (especially guys) want
In the case of upper body work, if my goal was hypertrophy, I could get awesome shoulders never touching overhead press, much less heavy overhead press. If my goal was to get strong at the overhead press. Id do heavy overhead press even if heavy overhead press is inefficient for hypertrophy
The intent is different.
How much can you bench ?
All of them.
You’re gonna need a bigger boat