Standing Barbell Military Press

Starting position

1. Set the bar in the rack at about upper-chest height.
2. Step under it and grip slightly wider than your shoulders, with your elbows under and a little in front of the bar.
3. Unrack the bar and step back; feet shoulder-width apart, knees straight but not locked.
4. The bar rests on your upper chest and front delts, glutes and abs tight.

Execution

1. Take a breath and hold it to brace your torso.
2. Press the bar straight up, tilting your head back slightly so the bar clears your chin.
3. Once it passes your face, push your head forward 'through the window' between your arms; at the top the bar is over mid-foot. Breathe out.
4. Inhale and lower the bar under control back to your upper chest.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back and arching the lower back — the lower back takes the load and injury risk rises.
• Driving with the legs — momentum does the work — that's a push press, not a strict press.
• Bar drifting forward away from the face — the lever gets longer and the shoulders and lower back are overloaded.
• Loose torso — the bar wobbles and you lose stability.

Beginner tips

• Start with the empty bar (20 kg), or a lighter technique bar if that's too heavy.
• Keep glutes and abs tight for the whole set — it protects your lower back.
• Add 1–2.5 kg at a time: the overhead press progresses slower than the bench press.

Alternatives

• Seated Barbell Press (Military Press) — back support unloads the lower back
• Smith Machine Front Press — fixed path, easier for beginners
• Dumbbell Press with Alternating Grip — more freedom for the shoulder joints