LiftSets / Exercises / Seated Barbell Military Press
Seated Barbell Military Press
Works the shoulders. Helped by the triceps.


Bright blue is the target muscle. Darker blue is helping. The app shows this as a moving demo.
Muscles worked
shoulderstriceps
How many reps
| Goal | Reps per set |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3-6 |
| Muscle size | 6-10 |
| Endurance | 12-20+ |
Whatever the number, the set should end within a rep or two of the point where you could not do another with good form.
| Kit | Barbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
What to think about
- Brace, don't lean back.
- Lower to about ear level.
- Finish at the shoulders, bells to thighs, never out front.
How to do it
- Sit on a Military Press Bench with a bar behind your head and either have a spotter give you the bar (better on the rotator cuff this way) or pick it up yourself carefully with a pronated grip (palms facing forward). Tip: Your grip should be wider than shoulder width and it should create a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm as the barbell goes down.
- Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip length, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms. Hold at about shoulder level and slightly in front of your head. This is your starting position.
- Lower the bar down to the collarbone slowly as you inhale.
- Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Other exercises for the shoulders
- Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
- Alternating Kettlebell Press
- Arnold Dumbbell Press
- Back Flyes - With Bands
- Band Pull Apart
- Barbell Shoulder Press
- Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise with Head on Bench
- Cable Seated Lateral Raise
Track it in LiftSets
Log Seated Barbell Military Press with last time's numbers in front of you, a rest timer on your lock screen and a graph of your progress.
Coming soon to the App Store