Shoulders · Barbell

Seated Barbell Military Press

A compound movement that trains your shoulders, done with a barbell. Your triceps help out.

Seated Barbell Military Press, starting positionSeated Barbell Military Press, end position

Muscles you'll work

Seated Barbell Military Press muscles worked, front viewSeated Barbell Military Press muscles worked, back view
ShouldersPrimaryTricepsSecondary

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.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

More shoulder exercises

Barbell Shoulder PressStanding Military PressClean and JerkClean and Press
EquipmentBarbell
TypeCompound
Push or pullPush
LevelIntermediate

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Every set you log gets checked against your history, so you know the moment you beat your best. Next session, you'll already know what to aim for.

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