Behind the Neck Press (Barbell)
Trains the shoulders, with help from the triceps. You need a barbell. None of our programs use it yet, but you can add it to any session you build.
Free to use. The app works out every weight and times your rest.
In the programs
None of our programs use the Behind the Neck Press (Barbell)
It is in the app, so you can add it to any session and log it like anything else. It is just not written into one of our 50 free programs. If you want a shoulders exercise that is, there are 11 on the Shoulders page.
Muscles worked
What Behind the Neck Press (Barbell) trains
Technique
How to do the Behind the Neck Press (Barbell)
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and your back upright. Hold a barbell across your upper back behind your neck, with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Press the barbell straight overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower the barbell behind your neck with control, stopping around ear level.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Form cues
Getting it right
- Only press behind the neck if you can hold the bar there comfortably; stiff shoulders are a reason to press in front instead.
- Keep your head still and neutral; don't push it forward to make room for the bar.
- Use a lighter weight than your front press and lower the bar under control.
- Exhale as you press up and inhale as you lower.
Substitutes
Swap Behind the Neck Press (Barbell) for
The app's swap picker ranks these the same way: same muscles, similar movement, similar equipment.
Let the app run the Behind the Neck Press (Barbell) for you
Durata picks the weight, times your rest and adds load when you earn it. That works on any of our 50 free programs, or on a session you put together yourself.