Behind-the-Neck Barbell Press

Starting position

1. Set an upright-back bench inside a power rack or by the uprights, with the bar racked a little below your overhead reach.
2. Sit with your hips and back against the pad and your feet on the floor wider than your shoulders.
3. Take a grip clearly wider than your shoulders so your forearms are vertical at the bottom.
4. Unrack the bar and hold it overhead on straight arms; keep your head neutral and eyes forward.

Execution

1. Inhale and slowly lower the bar behind your head to about the top of your ears or crown — not down to the base of your neck.
2. Elbows point out and down, forearms vertical, torso still.
3. Exhale and press the bar back overhead without snapping your elbows into lockout.
4. Repeat under control and rerack the bar after the set.

Common mistakes

• Lowering the bar too far — the shoulder ends up in a very vulnerable position and injury risk rises.
• Pushing the head forward — the neck is strained and the bar can hit the back of the head.
• Arching the lower back — the load moves to the lower back.
• Grip too narrow — forearms aren't vertical and the shoulders and elbows are uncomfortable.

Beginner tips

• This is not a first-week exercise: only do it if you can easily take a stick behind your head and your shoulders are pain-free.
• Start with the empty bar or a light stick and a short range.
• If your shoulders feel any discomfort, switch to a front press.

Alternatives

• Seated Barbell Press (Military Press) — same movement in front of the face, safer for shoulders
• Dumbbell Press with Alternating Grip — free path that is comfortable for the shoulder joint
• Behind-the-Neck Smith Machine Press — fixed path, easier to control