Vertical Push · Intermediate
Seated Barbell Overhead Press
- Movement pattern
- Vertical Push
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Barbell, Bench
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Sides
- Bilateral
- Main plane
- Sagittal
How to do the Seated Barbell Overhead Press
Setup
Seated on a bench with back support, bar racked at your collarbone, grip just outside shoulder-width.
Press the bar straight overhead, letting your head move back slightly to clear the bar's path, then through at the top.
Keep the upper-arm angle at roughly 90 degrees or higher relative to your torso at the bottom -- the seated position removes your legs from the lift, so there's no leg drive to compensate for pressing from too low a position.
Lock out fully overhead without shrugging your shoulders up to your ears.
Common mistakes
Letting the lower back arch off the bench pad to add range instead of keeping it flat against the support.
Pressing from too low a starting position (upper arm well below 90 degrees) since the seated setup removes any leg-drive assistance the standing version has.
Muscles worked
Primary
How the knowledge graph models this movement
Shoulder flexion
Elbow extension
Scapula elevation
Scapula upward rotation
Spine extension