Barbell Push Press

Start

Finish

How to do it

From a front-rack position, dip about four inches by bending the knees with a vertical torso, then drive explosively through the legs and finish the bar overhead with the arms.

Muscles worked

Primary: shoulders · Also works: triceps, quads, glutes

Equipment

Barbell

Common mistakes

• Dipping by bending at the hips, which tips the torso forward and throws the bar out in front
• Dipping too deep and slow, turning the leg drive into a front squat
• Pressing with the arms before the legs have finished extending, so the drive is wasted

Variations

• Dumbbell push press
• Push press with a three-second overhead hold

Can't do this one? Swap it for

• Standing Overhead Press
• Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Seated Barbell Shoulder Press

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a shoulder problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

• Standing Overhead Pressshoulders
• Pike Push-Upshoulders
• Dumbbell Lateral Raiseshoulders
• Shoulder Controlled Rotationsshoulders
• Face Pullshoulders
• Cable Lateral Raiseshoulders