Shoulders · Barbell
Inside Squat Cage Barbell Seated Military Press
How to do the inside squat cage barbell seated military press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set the barbell on the rack pins inside a squat cage at shoulder height and sit on a bench beneath it. Unrack the bar at the front of your shoulders with hands just outside shoulder-width. Brace your core and press the bar straight overhead until your arms lock out, then lower under control.
- 1Feel your shoulders and triceps drive the bar straight overhead
- 2Keep your core braced and ribs down so you don't arch back
- 3Press in a straight line and lock out tall at the top
Common mistakes
- Don't lean back and turn it into an incline press
- Avoid pressing the bar forward; keep the path close to your face
- Don't bounce the bar off your shoulders out of the bottom
Muscles worked
The inside squat cage barbell seated military press mainly works the front delts and triceps, with the upper traps, side delts, upper chest, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the inside squat cage barbell seated military press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.