Seated Barbell Shoulder Press

How to perform the Seated Barbell Shoulder Press

1. Set an upright bench inside a rack with the bar at upper-chest height, and grip it just outside shoulder width.
2. Sit tall with the lower back against the pad, unrack the bar, and hold it at the front of the shoulders.
3. Brace the core hard; without leg drive the seated barbell press demands the delts move the bar on their own.
4. Press the bar straight up past the face, then finish with it stacked over the shoulders and mid-line of the head.
5. Because a bench limits how far you can lean back, keep the ribcage down rather than pressing at an incline angle.
6. Lower the bar under control back to the front of the shoulders, resetting the brace before the next rep.

Suggested working range: 6–8 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Leaning the torso back against the bench so the press drifts into an incline angle.
• •Flaring the ribcage and overextending the lower back to grind heavy reps.
• •Pressing the bar out in front rather than finishing with it stacked over the shoulders.
• •Letting the bar crash back down to the shoulders instead of lowering under control.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.