Barbell Shoulder Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Barbell Shoulder Press
- Sit on a bench with back support in a squat rack. Position a barbell at a height that is just above your head. Grab the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing forward).
- Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip width, 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 shoulders slowly as you inhale.
- Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Barbell Shoulder Press
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
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2
Shoulder Press
The shoulder press is a fundamental overhead pressing movement that builds strong, broad shoulders. It targets all three heads of the deltoid and develops functional pressing strength.
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3
Seated Barbell Military Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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4
Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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5
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
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6
Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
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7
Leverage Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a machine.
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8
Machine Shoulder (Military) Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a machine.
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9
Seated Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
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10
Shoulder Press - With Bands
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a resistance band.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do barbell shoulder press work?
Barbell Shoulder Press primarily works the shoulders. The chest and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for barbell shoulder press?
Barbell Shoulder Press uses barbell.
Barbell Shoulder Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Barbell Shoulder Press is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of barbell shoulder press?
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press, Shoulder Press, Seated Barbell Military Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my barbell shoulder press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; barbell shoulder press can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Barbell Shoulder Press with AI
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