Barbell Overhead Press
beginner Compound
Primary Shoulders
Secondary
Triceps Upper chest Core
Equipment
barbell
Table of Contents
Stand with feet hip-width apart, bar resting on your front delts with a grip just outside shoulder width. Brace your core and press the bar straight overhead, moving your head slightly back to clear the bar path. Lock out at the top with the bar directly over your midfoot, then lower with control.
Pro Tips
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core to prevent low-back arching
- Press the bar in a straight line — move your head, not the bar path
- Full lockout overhead with active shoulders at the top
- Start lighter than you think; this is the hardest main barbell lift to progress
Variations & alternatives
Useful tools
Programs that use this exercise
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