Seated Barbell Press (Military 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. Grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders, unrack it and bring it down to upper-chest level.
4. Elbows under and slightly in front of the bar, abs braced.

Execution

1. Inhale and, tilting your head back slightly, press the bar up so it clears your chin.
2. Once it passes your face, bring your head back to neutral; at the top the bar is over your shoulders with arms nearly straight. Breathe out.
3. Inhale and slowly lower the bar in front of your face to your chin or upper chest.
4. Keep your back and hips on the bench for the whole set.

Common mistakes

• Heavy lower-back arch — your back leaves the pad, the load shifts to the lower back and the press becomes an incline press.
• Bar drifting forward — the lever gets longer and the shoulders are overloaded.
• Elbows flared straight out — the shoulder joint works in an awkward position.
• Bouncing off the chest at the bottom — you lose control and momentum lifts the weight.

Beginner tips

• Start with the empty bar and practise the path past your face.
• If there's no rack, ask a partner to hand you the bar — getting it to your chest while seated is awkward and unsafe.
• Add weight in small steps of 1–2.5 kg.

Alternatives

• Smith Machine Front Press — same movement with a fixed path
• Dumbbell Press with Alternating Grip — arms work independently, easier on the shoulders
• Standing Barbell Press (Military Press) — more core and leg work for stability