Barbell Shoulder Press

Muscles Worked: Front, Middle & partly rear Deltoids (you may also feel this working your triceps and traps slightly).

Spotter Required: No, but it helps as you may be able to lift a heavier weight

Minimum Equipment required: 6ft or 7ft Standard weight barbell with weights

The Best Equipment to Use: 6ft or 7ft Olympic barbell with weights

Warming up: To warm up, perform 1 set of 15 - 20 repetitions of the exercise with minimal weight.

How often should I perform this exercise: The shoulder press is a great shoulder workout that hits most of your shoulders (front, middle & rear delts). I always include a pressing movement in my shoulder workouts and to mix it up I often use dumbbells (such as the seated dumbbell press) or even a cable machine (one that includes a bar attachment).

When should I perform this exercise: Pressing movements use the most energy compared to other shoulder exercises so it’s best to start with them. Also because a press engages all 3 deltoids it’s a great warm up for your shoulders.

How to do the exercise: Sit on a utility bench with an incline just short of upright and with your feet locked on the floor. Grasp the barbell with a grip just wider than shoulder width. Now simply lift the barbell as high as possible without locking your elbows at the top, this keeps tension on the muscles and provides a more challenging (and muscle building) workout.

As you bring the weight back down go as low as your collar bone then return the barbell back to the top. Remember to also keep you’re back arched and your abdominals tensed for support and safety. If you don’t have a spotting partner then you shouldn’t use a heavy weight for this exercise, unless of course you have a power rack or smith machine.

Mentality: Concentration is important here, this is one of the hardest shoulder exercises to do, so make sure you do it to the best of your ability to really work your deltoids.

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