Shoulders · Barbell
Standing Behind Neck Press
How to do the standing behind neck 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
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with a barbell resting on your upper traps behind your neck, hands wider than shoulder-width. Brace your core, press the bar straight overhead until your arms lock out, then lower it back behind your neck under control.
- 1Shoulders and triceps pressing the bar overhead
- 2Core and glutes braced to keep the torso upright
- 3Shoulder blades down and the overhead position stable
Common mistakes
- Arching your low back or letting the bar drift forward
- Lowering the bar too far down your neck
- Pressing with your wrists bent back
Muscles worked
The standing behind neck press mainly works the front delts, triceps, and side delts, with the forearms, upper chest, upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, and glutes assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Side DeltsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the standing behind neck 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.