Seated Barbell Military Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Seated Barbell Military Press
- 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.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Seated Barbell Military 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
Kettlebell Seated Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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2
One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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3
Two-Arm Kettlebell Military Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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4
Barbell Shoulder Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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5
Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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6
Machine Shoulder (Military) Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a machine.
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7
Seated Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
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8
Seated Dumbbell Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
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9
Alternating Kettlebell Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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10
Arnold Dumbbell Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do seated barbell military press work?
Seated Barbell Military Press primarily works the shoulders. The triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for seated barbell military press?
Seated Barbell Military Press uses barbell.
Seated Barbell Military Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Seated Barbell Military 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 seated barbell military press?
Kettlebell Seated Press, One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side, Two-Arm Kettlebell Military Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my seated barbell military press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; seated barbell military 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 Seated Barbell Military Press with AI
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