Smart Workout Diary

Barbell Push Press Behind the Neck

The behind-the-neck barbell push press uses a short leg drive to help press a barbell from the upper back to overhead. It primarily trains the shoulders and triceps while the legs generate force and the trunk stabilizes the lift. It can support upper-body pressing strength, power, and whole-body coordination.

Demonstration

Barbell Push Press Behind the Neck — demonstration 1
Barbell Push Press Behind the Neck — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Set a barbell in a rack at upper-back height and use a load you can control confidently.
  2. Stand with the bar resting across the upper traps, hands just outside shoulder width, elbows slightly behind the bar, and feet about hip width apart.
  3. Brace your abdomen, keep your chest tall, and take a shallow, vertical dip by bending the knees while keeping your heels down.
  4. Drive forcefully through the floor to extend the hips and knees, then press the bar upward as it leaves the upper back.
  5. Move your head forward once the bar clears it and finish with straight arms, the bar over the mid-foot, and a stable trunk.
  6. Lower the bar under control back to the upper traps, reset your position, and repeat. Stop if the behind-the-neck position causes shoulder, neck, or wrist discomfort.
Muscle Group
Delts
Other Muscle Groups
Triceps, Quads, Glutes
Type
Strength
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate

Technique tips

  1. Use a shallow dip: let the knees travel in line with the toes; do not turn the dip into a squat.
  2. Keep the bar path vertical: avoid leaning back or flaring the ribs to finish overhead.
  3. Choose mobility-appropriate range: this variation requires comfortable shoulder mobility; use a different press if the rack position is uncomfortable.
  4. Control the descent: do not drop the bar onto the neck or upper back.
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