Neck Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Neck Press
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your neck with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your neck.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up).
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Neck 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
Leg-Over Floor Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a kettlebell.
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2
One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a kettlebell.
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3
Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
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4
Bench Press
The bench press is the most popular upper body exercise for building chest strength and muscle mass. It's a compound movement that also develops the triceps and anterior deltoids.
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5
Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
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6
Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
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7
Alternating Floor Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a kettlebell.
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8
Bench Press - With Bands
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a resistance band.
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9
Cable Chest Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a cable machine.
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10
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do neck press work?
Neck Press primarily works the chest. The shoulders and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for neck press?
Neck Press uses barbell.
Neck Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Neck 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 neck press?
Leg-Over Floor Press, One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Press, Barbell Guillotine Bench Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my neck press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; neck 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 Neck Press with AI
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