Shoulders · Barbell · Compound · Intermediate

Seated Barbell Military Press

Seated Barbell Military Press, start position
Start
Seated Barbell Military Press, end position
End
FrontBack
PrimarySecondary
Main muscles
Shoulders
Also working
Triceps

How to do it

  1. Sit on a Military Press Bench with a bar behind your head and either have a spotter give you the bar (better on the rotator cuff this way) or pick it up yourself carefully 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.
  2. Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip length, 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.
  3. Lower the bar down to the collarbone slowly as you inhale.
  4. Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.

Swaps on other equipment

Each has the shoulders as its main muscle and is also a push, on a different piece of equipment.

Other shoulder exercises

Steps and photos from the public-domain Free Exercise DB, not individually reviewed. How this site is put together · Report a mistake