What equipment do you need for the behind the neck push press?

You need barbell to do the behind the neck push press.

What is a good behind the neck push press?

For men, a good behind the neck push press is about a 197.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 92.5 lb and elite lifters pass 325 lb. For women, the standards run from about 55 lb to 175 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Shoulders · Barbell

Behind the Neck Push Press

How to do the behind the neck push press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Barbell
Difficulty: Beginner
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Vertical Press
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Shoulders exercises Barbell exercises

How to do it

Hold the weight at shoulder level with your elbows under your wrists. Brace your core and press the weight overhead until your arms are fully extended. Lower the weight back to your shoulders in a controlled manner.

1Feel your shoulders and triceps pressing the bar overhead from behind your head
2Keep your core and glutes engaged as you dip and drive through your legs for power
3Maintain a stable overhead position with shoulder blades down and back

Common mistakes

Avoid arching your lower back or letting the bar drift forward
Don't lower the bar too low behind your neck; keep it at the upper traps
Avoid pressing with your wrists bent; maintain neutral wrists

Muscles worked

The behind the neck push press mainly works the front delts, triceps, and side delts, with the forearms, upper chest, upper traps, upper abs, quads, and glutes assisting.

Front DeltsPrimary
TricepsPrimary
Side DeltsPrimary
ForearmsSupport
Upper ChestSupport
Upper TrapsSupport
Upper AbsSupport
QuadsSupport
GlutesSupport
Lower TrapsMinor
Lower AbsMinor
CalvesMinor

Behind the Neck Push Press strength standards

See how your behind the neck push press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM92.5 lb
Silvere1RM137.5 lb
Golde1RM197.5 lb
Platinume1RM260 lb
Diamonde1RM295 lb
Champione1RM325 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the behind the neck push 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.

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More shoulders exercises

See all shoulders exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.