Barbell Shoulder Press

Also called seated barbell press, seated overhead press and seated military press.

Works

Shoulders, plus chest and triceps

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Intermediate

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Sit on a bench with back support in a squat rack. Position a barbell at a height that is just above your head. Grab the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing forward).

1. Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip width, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms. Hold at about shoulder level and slightly in front of your head. This is your starting position.
2. Lower the bar down to the shoulders slowly as you inhale.
3. Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Cues

• Back on the pad, feet planted.
• Bar starts at the collarbone.
• Press straight up, head through.
• Lower under control to the chin.

Common mistakes

• Arching off the pad.
• Flaring the elbows wide.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a sore shoulder. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Harder

Easier

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