Setup
Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell racked at upper chest level with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and elbows slightly forward. Grip the bar firmly with wrists stacked over forearms, creating a shelf with your upper chest.
How to do it
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes before initiating the press
- Drive the bar straight up while moving your head slightly back to clear the bar path
- Press until arms are fully locked out overhead with biceps by your ears
- Return the bar under control to the starting position at your upper chest
- Keep your ribcage down and avoid excessive arching in your lower back
Watch out for
- ✗Leaning back excessively and turning the movement into an incline press instead of maintaining a vertical torso
- ✗Pressing the bar forward in an arc rather than straight up, which reduces efficiency and can strain shoulders
- ✗Failing to achieve full lockout at the top, which shortens the range of motion and reduces muscle engagement