Smart Workout Diary
Barbell Military Press
The barbell military press is a standing overhead pressing exercise in which a barbell is driven from the upper chest to locked arms overhead. It primarily develops the shoulders, especially the deltoids, while the triceps and trunk help press and stabilize the load. It supports upper-body strength, overhead control, and pressing performance.
Demonstration
Instructions
- Set a barbell in a rack around upper-chest height and load it evenly. Stand close to the bar with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Grip the bar just outside shoulder width, keep your wrists stacked over your forearms, and rest the bar across the upper chest and front shoulders. Unrack it and take a controlled step back.
- Brace your abdomen, squeeze your glutes, and keep your ribs from flaring. Start with the elbows slightly in front of the bar.
- Press the bar upward in a near-vertical path. Move your head slightly back only long enough for the bar to pass, then bring your head through as the bar reaches overhead.
- Finish with straight arms, the bar balanced over the middle of your feet, and a neutral spine. Lower the bar under control to the upper chest and repeat.
- Use a load you can control without leaning back or using leg drive. Return the bar to the rack safely when the set is complete.
