Seated Barbell Military Press
How to do the Seated Barbell Military Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Shoulders
Triceps
Barbell
How to do the Seated Barbell Military Press
- 1
Sit on a Military Press Bench with a bar behind your head and either have a spotter give you the bar (better on the rotator cuff this way) or pick it up yourself carefully with a pronated grip (palms facing forward). Tip: Your grip should be wider than shoulder width and it should create a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm as the barbell goes down.
- 2
Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip length, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms. Hold at about shoulder level and slightly in front of your head. This is your starting position.
- 3
Lower the bar down to the collarbone slowly as you inhale.
- 4
Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
- 5
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Log it, see it on your body.
Every Seated Barbell Military Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.
More shoulders exercises
Seated Barbell Military Press: common questions
What muscles does the Seated Barbell Military Press work?
The Seated Barbell Military Press primarily works the Shoulders. It also recruits the Triceps as supporting muscles.
Is the Seated Barbell Military Press suitable for beginners?
The Seated Barbell Military 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 Seated Barbell Military Press?
To do the Seated Barbell Military Press you'll need a barbell.
Is the Seated Barbell Military Press a compound or isolation exercise?
The Seated Barbell Military 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 Seated Barbell Military Press with correct form?
Sit on a Military Press Bench with a bar behind your head and either have a spotter give you the bar (better on the rotator cuff this way) or pick it up yourself carefully with a pronated grip (palms facing forward). Tip: Your grip should be wider than shoulder width and it should create a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm as the barbell goes down. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Seated Barbell Military Press sets, free.
Waitlist members get TestFlight + Play Store internal-track invites and a founder badge on their profile.
The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.
Core tracking stays free forever, the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.
14-day free trial · no card to start
| Free | Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking, the climb and streaks | ||
| Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables | ||
| Muscle-league tiers | ||
| The AI coach | nudges | Full conversation |
| Worldwide leagues and challenges | , | |
| PR projections and deep analytics | , | |
| Unlimited crews | , | |
| Themes, export and higher AI limits | , |