Bradford/Rocky Presses

Also called bradford press, rocky press and front to back press.

Works

Shoulders, plus triceps

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Beginner

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Sit on a Military Press Bench with a bar at shoulder level with a pronated grip (palms facing forward). Tip: Your grip should be wider than shoulder width and it should create a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm as the barbell goes down. This is your starting position.

1. Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms.
2. Now lower the bar down to the back of the head slowly as you inhale.
3. Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
4. Lower the bar down to the starting position slowly as you inhale. This is one repetition.
5. Alternate in this manner until you complete the recommended amount of repetitions.

Cues

• Light weight, palms forward.
• Press just over the head.
• Lower behind the head, press back.
• Then lower to the front.

Common mistakes

• Locking out each rep.
• Going heavy behind the neck.

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.

Easier

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