Seated Barbell Military Press
What you'll gain
Overloads the deltoids without needing a standing brace or leg drive.
Trains a vertical press that also works the triceps and upper traps.
The racked seated setup is easy to film and easy to cue in an app.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Set an upright bench inside a rack so the bar sits at upper-chest height when you are seated.
- 2
Sit tall, plant both feet, and take an overhand grip slightly wider than the shoulders.
- 3
Unrack the bar to the upper chest, brace the trunk, and keep the back against the pad.
- 4
Press the bar straight overhead, moving the head back just enough for the bar to clear the face.
- 5
Lock the elbows at the top without shrugging the shoulders into the ears.
- 6
Lower the bar to the upper chest under control and repeat.
Common Mistakes
Pressing the bar behind the neck, which loads the shoulder joint in a riskier path.
Flaring the ribcage and arching the lower back off the pad to finish the lockout.
Bouncing the bar off the chest instead of pausing in the racked position.
Looking up and driving the chin into the bar path.
About This Exercise
The seated barbell military press is the overhead press done on an upright bench inside a rack. The bar starts at the upper chest, palms forward, grip a little wider than the shoulders. Press it straight overhead, then lower it back to the clavicles. Sitting removes leg drive, so more of the load stays on the deltoids and triceps. The upper traps help finish the lockout. For a catalog this is the seated barbell overhead clip that shoulder programs expect. The front-on rack view shows the bar path and the upright torso, which is the cue app users miss when they turn a press into a behind-neck variation.
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A seated barbell overhead press from a racked start at the upper chest, targeting the shoulders with a vertical bar path.
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Specifications
Built for
- Shoulder hypertrophy blocks in gym-based training apps.
- Barbell overhead-press progressions for users who prefer a seated start.
- Machine-to-barbell comparison pages next to a selectorized press.
- Upper-body strength templates that already include a squat rack.
Muscles Worked
Details
License Includes
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