What equipment do you need for the leverage machine shoulder press?

You need leverage machine to do the leverage machine shoulder press.

What is a good leverage machine shoulder press?

For men, a good leverage machine shoulder press is about a 187.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 62.5 lb and elite lifters pass 350 lb. For women, the standards run from about 20 lb to 177.5 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Shoulders · Leverage Machine

Leverage Machine Shoulder Press

How to do the leverage machine shoulder press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

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

Find more:Shoulders exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Adjust the seat so the handles start around chin/ear level. Brace your ribs down, press the handles overhead in a smooth arc, and stop just short of locking out hard. Lower slowly until you feel a stretch in the shoulders, then repeat.

1Front/side delts driving the press, triceps finishing the lockout. You should feel stable through the trunk with a clean overhead path.

Common mistakes

Overarching the low back, flaring the ribs, or bouncing out of the bottom. Don't let the elbows drift too far behind you.

Muscles worked

The leverage machine shoulder press mainly works the front delts, triceps, and side delts, with the forearms, upper chest, upper traps, and upper abs assisting.

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

Leverage Machine Shoulder Press strength standards

See how your leverage machine shoulder press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM62.5 lb
Silvere1RM115 lb
Golde1RM187.5 lb
Platinume1RM265 lb
Diamonde1RM310 lb
Champione1RM350 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 leverage machine shoulder 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.