Push Press - Behind the Neck

An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.

Push Press - Behind the Neck — Starting position Starting position
Push Press - Behind the Neck — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Olympic Weightlifting
Equipment Barbell
Primary Muscle Shoulders
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Push Press - Behind the Neck

  1. Standing with the weight racked on the back of the shoulders, begin with the dip. With your feet directly under your hips, flex the knees without moving the hips backward. Go down only slightly, and reverse direction as powerfully as possible. Drive through the heels create as much speed and force as possible, moving the bar in a vertical path.
  2. Using the momentum generated, finish pressing the weight overhead be extending through the arms.
  3. Return to the starting position, using your legs to absorb the impact.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Push Press - Behind the Neck does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Push Press - Behind the Neck

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.

  1. 1 Double Kettlebell Push Press

    Double Kettlebell Push Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  2. 2 One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press

    One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  3. 3 Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck

    Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  4. 4 Jerk Balance

    Jerk Balance

    An intermediate compound Olympic weightlifting exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  5. 5 Alternating Kettlebell Press

    Alternating Kettlebell Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  6. 6 Arnold Dumbbell Press

    Arnold Dumbbell Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  7. 7 Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press

    Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  8. 8 Kettlebell Arnold Press

    Kettlebell Arnold Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  9. 9 Kettlebell Seated Press

    Kettlebell Seated Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  10. 10 Kettlebell Seesaw Press

    Kettlebell Seesaw Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do push press - behind the neck work?

Push Press - Behind the Neck primarily works the shoulders. The calves, quads and triceps assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for push press - behind the neck?

Push Press - Behind the Neck uses barbell.

Push Press - Behind the Neck: is it suitable for beginners?

Push Press - Behind the Neck is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of push press - behind the neck?

Double Kettlebell Push Press, One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press, Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my push press - behind the neck reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; push press - behind the neck 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 Push Press - Behind the Neck with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.