Shoulders · Barbell
Push Press
How to do the push press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Vertical Press
- Mechanic
- Compound
See it in motion
How to do it
Start with barbell at shoulder level, palms facing forward. Slightly bend knees, then explosively extend legs and push bar overhead. Lower bar back to shoulders with control.
- 1Use your legs to generate power and feel the bar accelerate off your shoulders
- 2Lock the bar overhead with your shoulders and triceps engaged
- 3Keep your core braced to control the dip and drive
Common mistakes
- Avoid excessive arching of your lower back
- Don't press before your legs have fully extended
- Avoid catching the weight on locked joints; absorb it through active muscles
Muscles worked
The 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
Kovo programs the push press for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the barbell overhead press
- How to do the cable face pull
- How to do the cable lateral raise
- How to do the dumbbell front raise
- How to do the dumbbell lateral raise
Last reviewed April 2026.