Neck Press
How to do the Neck Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Chest
Shoulders, Triceps
Barbell
How to do the Neck Press
- 1
Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your neck with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- 2
As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your neck.
- 3
After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up).
- 4
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- 5
When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Log it, see it on your body.
Every Neck Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your chest volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.
More chest exercises
Neck Press: common questions
What muscles does the Neck Press work?
The Neck Press primarily works the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders and Triceps as supporting muscles.
Is the Neck Press suitable for beginners?
The Neck Press is an intermediate-level exercise. It's best once you've built a base of general strength and movement control, beginners can work up to it.
What equipment do I need for the Neck Press?
To do the Neck Press you'll need a barbell.
Is the Neck Press a compound or isolation exercise?
The Neck Press is a compound exercise, it moves multiple joints and works several muscle groups at once, which makes it efficient for building overall strength.
How do I do the Neck Press with correct form?
Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your neck with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Neck Press sets, free.
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