Barbell Standing Shoulders Press

How to do it

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and the barbell racked across the front of your shoulders, hands just outside shoulder width. Brace your core and glutes, then press the bar straight overhead, moving your head slightly back so the bar clears your chin. Lock out with the bar over your mid-foot, then lower it back to your shoulders under control.

1. 1Your shoulders and triceps driving the bar to lockout overhead
2. 2Your core and glutes braced to keep your torso from leaning back
3. 3The bar finishing stacked directly over your mid-foot

Common mistakes

• ×Arching your lower back to turn it into an incline press
• ×Pressing the bar around your face instead of clearing your chin
• ×Letting your elbows flare wide or the bar drift forward

Muscles worked

The barbell standing shoulders press mainly works the triceps and front delts, with the upper traps, upper chest, lower back, upper abs, lower abs, and side delts assisting.

• TricepsPrimary
• Front DeltsPrimary
• Upper TrapsSupport
• Upper ChestSupport
• Lower BackSupport
• Upper AbsSupport
• Lower AbsSupport
• Side DeltsSupport
• ForearmsMinor
• Mid TrapsMinor
• Lower TrapsMinor
• ObliquesMinor
• QuadsMinor
• GlutesMinor
• External RotatorsMinor