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The standing military press is one of the best functional barbell exercises anyone can perform. The lift is a full body movement that activates all muscles of the body. Be able to press at least your body weight or 50 lbs more than body weight and you’ll definitely sport big boulder shoulders with enough strength to lift a Jeep…
photo credit: wsilver
Proper form is crucial for obvious reasons so let’s break down the performance of the lift into simple steps:
1. Practice with an empty bar first so you’ll easily understand the mechanics and be able to execute the lift properly. You may use either a 45lb. Olympic or a regular 25lb. barbell. Stand erect in front of the empty bar. Arch your lower back slightly but keep your body in a natural position. Make sure you stand straight to prevent slouching. Position your feet 3 to 6 inches apart pointing slightly outwards.
2. Grab the bar using a shoulder width length grip. Your hands should be 18 to 24 inches apart. Wrap your fingers around the bar completely keeping it tight. Make sure your thumbs are wrapped all around the bar ( closed grip ) rather than keeping it next to your index finger ( open grip ). Keep your head and eyes straight looking forward.
3. Let’s get into starting position. Unrack the bar and take a small step back. As you’re holding the bar make sure the upper arms are tucked in parallel to the torso and perpendicular to the ground. The wrists should be straight or slightly bent backwards.
4. Clench/contract your glutes by squeezing it together. Contract your quads as well. You want the entire body to remain tight and stable.
5. Grip the bar tighter and push it up over your head until the arms are locked in a straight position. Do not overarch your torso or lean too far backwards. Remember to keep the head straight with eyes either looking forward or slightly up. Take a quick breath. This is the concentric phase and it should take 1 to 3 seconds to complete.
6. Lower the bar slowly taking about 3 to 4 seconds. The bar will be lowered all the way down to starting position. This is the eccentric phase. Your body should remain tight throughout the entire time. This completes one full repetition.
Notes:
As a general rule the time it takes to complete eccentric phase of the lift should always be slower than the concentric phase.
You don’t necessarily have to consciously count the number of seconds it takes you to lift the bar up and down. Just make sure you keep the movement smooth and controlled on both phases.
If your grip is weak you may use chalk.
Practice with an empty bar first. Get the hang of the lift. Learn the mechanics and proper form before you attempt to load additional weight.
Variations of the standing military press:
dumbbell shoulder press: dumbbells are used
arnold press
one sided bent press; barbell is used
Train hard. Train safely. Train smart.
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