Barbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders
Chest
Triceps

Equipment: Barbell

New to this

Your first barbell shoulder press

What weight should I start with on the barbell shoulder press?

Start with the empty bar for 2 sets of 5. Overhead pressing is the weakest of the big barbell lifts for almost everyone, and 45 lb overhead is harder than 45 lb on your back.

Add 5 lb at a time. Overhead press progresses slower than any other lift, and trying to add 10 lb a week stalls you inside a month.

Set the rack so the bar sits at collarbone height. Unracking from too low turns the setup into a front squat.

What usually goes wrong on the barbell shoulder press?

The bar hits your chin on the way up. Pull your head back slightly as the bar passes your face, then push it forward again once the bar clears.

You lean back and it turns into an incline press. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. If you still lean, the weight is too heavy.

The bar drifts forward in front of your face at the top. Finish with the bar over the middle of your feet, not out in front of you.

If the rack is taken

Any overhead press trains the same thing. Dumbbells are the better first version for a lot of people because each arm finds its own path.

How to do it

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).
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.
Lower the bar down to the shoulders slowly as you inhale.
Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.