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§ L · Exercises · ShouldersUpdated 6/2026

Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

Builds the shoulders and improves upper body pressing strength. Strong shoulders help in pressing and overhead lifts.

Muscle group
Shoulders
Equipment
Barbell
Exercise type
Compound
Technique
Advanced technique

Muscles worked

§ 01 · Muscles
Primary muscle
Shoulders
Supporting muscles
Triceps

How to perform

§ 02 · Steps
  1. 01

    Stand with your feet hip-width apart and raise the barbell to the front rack position in front of your chest. Take a wide grip so your forearms are vertical at the bottom.

  2. 02

    Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, keep your chest up, look straight ahead, and keep your wrists neutral under the bar.

  3. 03

    Press the barbell straight overhead without using your legs. Move your head slightly forward under the bar once it passes your forehead, and fully extend your elbows at the top.

  4. 04

    Maintain controlled tension in your shoulders at the top, then lower the barbell slowly along the same path back to the front of your chest.

Beginner's guide

§ 03 · Guide
What it works

Builds the shoulders and improves upper body pressing strength. Strong shoulders help in pressing and overhead lifts.

What it should feel like

You should feel it mainly in your shoulders, with some work in the triceps. You should not feel it in your lower back or wrists.

Most common mistake

A common mistake is arching the lower back and pressing the bar forward. Brace your core, keep your ribs down, and press the bar straight up.

How to get started at the gym

§ 04 · SisuLift

Barbell Standing Wide Military Press is ready to go in the SisuLift exercise library. The app builds you a program, suggests starting weights and shows this same animation during your workout at the gym.

  • ·A ready training program based on your goal
  • ·Starting weight suggestions and automatic progression
  • ·Set logging and rest timer at the gym
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SisuLift app workout view

Tips

§ 05 · Tips

Keep your ribs down and avoid overextending your lower back so the bar stays over the middle of your foot. Keep the bar path straight and controlled; do not press the bar forward in an arc.

The wide-grip standing barbell military press places greater emphasis on the shoulders and requires strong core bracing to protect the lower back.

More exercises: Shoulders

§ 06 · Same muscles

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