Standing barbell overhead press

Barbell from a rack

Also called standing military press, standing overhead press

Standing barbell overhead press, start position — Images: Free Exercise DB (public domain)

Standing barbell overhead press, end position — Images: Free Exercise DB (public domain)

Hold a barbell at the collarbones with feet hip width, brace, and press it straight overhead until the arms lock out, then lower it back to the collarbones.

Squeeze glutes, ribs down
Move the head back to clear the bar
Finish with the bar over mid foot

Movement

Pattern: Vertical push
Type: Compound, several joints move
Sides: Both sides together
Equipment: Barbell

Muscles worked

Main movers get full credit for a set, helpers half.

Upper body

Ratings

Scores 1-5 averaged over sources. Tap a rating for the claims behind it. Claims are our summaries of the linked sources, fact-checked by AI.

Muscle growth higher is better3.6
Very good; among the better picks for the muscle. 5 sources.
- 4/5 Amazing for front delts and a bit of side delts when done strictly to the clavicles, not as a leg-driven partial. Renaissance Periodization, The Worst Shoulder Exercises People Still Do (And What to Do Instead) @ 0:36videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
- 3/5 High tension in the stretch and good overload, but front-delt dominant and standing balance steals tension. B tier plus. Jeff Nippard, The Best And Worst Shoulder Exercises @ 4:04videoExpert opinion2024checked by AI
- 4/5 Activates front delts as well as or better than front raises when elbows sit under the bar in the scapular plane; use heavier loads for 6-12 reps. Jeremy Ethier, 15 BEST Shoulder Exercises For Growth (And How To Use Them) @ 1:33videoExpert opinion2022checked by AI
- 3/5 Solid bread-and-butter vertical press but front-delt dominant; dumbbell and standing versions hit the side delts better per a 2013 study. Jeff Nippard, Build Bigger Shoulders With Perfect Training Technique (The Overhead Press) @ 1:04videoStudy2019checked by AI
- 4/5 Easy to overload and shown to beat dumbbell front raises by 41% for front delts; he calls it the only front-delt exercise needed. Jeremy Ethier, The Best Science-Based Shoulder Workout for Size and Symmetry @ 2:03videoStudy2018checked by AI
Progression higher is better3.0
Progresses with some workarounds. 1 source.
- 3/5 Strength usually builds slower than on other lifts, so patience is needed, though loading is still progressive on a multi-joint barbell lift. Jeff Nippard, Build Bigger Shoulders With Perfect Training Technique (The Overhead Press) @ 0:32videoExpert opinion2019checked by AI