Essomio™

← All exercise guides

shoulders

Standing Behind the Neck Barbell Shoulder Press

A standing barbell press lowered behind the head. Needs very flexible shoulders; most people should press in front.

advancedbarbellsquat rackplates

Standing Behind the Neck Barbell Shoulder Press, start position
START
Standing Behind the Neck Barbell Shoulder Press, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START2
  1. Set the rack hooks at about shoulder height.
  2. Load the same weight on each side and clip the plates on.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Grab the bar wider than your shoulders with your palms facing forward.
  2. Step under the bar so it rests on the base of your neck.
  3. Stand up to lift it off the hooks.
  4. Take two small steps back and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  5. Tighten your stomach and squeeze your buttocks.

Check: The bar rests on the base of your neck, your head is tipped slightly forward, and you are standing tall.

Press overhead

  1. Press the bar straight up until your arms are almost straight.
  2. Stop just short of locking your elbows.

Check: The weight is directly above your head, your arms are almost straight, and your lower back has not arched.

Lower slowly

  1. Bend your elbows and lower the weight slowly to the base of your neck, no lower.

Check: The bar is just above the base of your neck and you feel no pinch in your shoulders.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set. To finish, walk the bar into the rack and lower it onto the hooks.

Breathe out as you press up in about 1 second; breathe in as you lower over 2 to 3 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Standing Behind the Neck Barbell Shoulder Press: muscles worked, front view
Standing Behind the Neck Barbell Shoulder Press: muscles worked, back view

deltstriceps

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES4
  • Arching the lower back and leaning back. Shifts the load onto the spine. Fix: Tighten your stomach and squeeze your buttocks; lower the weight if you still arch.
  • Pressing the weight forward instead of straight up. Fix: Move your head back slightly as the weight passes your face so it travels straight up.
  • Dropping the weight fast to the start. Fix: Lower over 2 to 3 seconds.
  • Lowering the bar far down the back. Fix: Stop at the base of the neck; if that pinches, press in front instead.
SAFETY2
  • Keep your wrists straight, knuckles pointing at the ceiling.
  • Stop if you feel pinching in the front of the shoulder.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • plates Same weight on both sides, clipped on.
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: standing barbell shoulder press

variants: seated behind the neck barbell shoulder press

© 2026 Essomio LLC. The illustrations, muscle charts and guide text on this page are works of Essomio LLC, all rights reserved. They are for your personal use and may not be copied, redistributed or used to train models without written permission — see Licensing.