Barbell Behind the Neck Press
What Is the Barbell Behind the Neck Press?
Barbell Behind the Neck Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the triceps, upper trapezius and serratus anterior. It is an advanced-level movement because it presses from a position many lifters cannot reach comfortably: the bar starts on the upper traps behind the head, the grip is wide, and the shoulders sit out to the sides and rotated back before the press begins. Standing, as shown here, also makes the trunk and legs hold the body steady with no backrest to lean on.
Its clearest place is in Olympic weightlifting, where coaches use the press behind the neck, along with its push press and jerk versions, to build strength and upper-back position in the overhead receiving position of the Barbell Split Jerk. Starting behind the head means the bar rises in a fairly straight line without having to travel back around the face. Bodybuilders use it as a deltoid builder, usually after the main pressing lift and with lighter loads than a front press.
The main difference from the Barbell Overhead Press and Barbell Standing Military Press is the bar path. Pressing behind the head keeps the elbows out to the sides instead of slightly forward, which changes how the work is shared between the chest, the different parts of the deltoid and the upper back. In a seated comparison with 14 resistance-trained men, pressing in front of the face drew more front deltoid and chest activity, while the behind-the-neck path drew more rear deltoid, upper trapezius and triceps activity as the bar was lowered. Most lifters handle less weight behind the neck than in front.
The lift suits experienced lifters with healthy, mobile shoulders who want variety in their vertical pressing or who train for the jerk. Anyone who cannot lower a dowel to the traps without pushing the head forward or arching the lower back should keep building pressing strength with the Barbell Overhead Press or Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press, and work on upper-back and shoulder mobility with drills such as Foam Roller Thoracic Extension and Band Pass-Through first.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Upper Trapezius
- High
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
Instructions
- Set a barbell in a squat rack at about shoulder height and step under it so it rests across your upper traps, as for a back squat.
- Grip the bar overhand, clearly wider than shoulder width, so your forearms are vertical and your elbows point out to the sides under the bar.
- Stand up to unrack the bar, take a step back, and set your feet about hip width apart with your knees straight.
- Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so your ribs stay down and your lower back does not arch.
- Keep your head upright and your eyes forward.
- Press the bar straight up from behind your neck until your elbows are fully locked out and the bar sits over the middle of your head.
- Lower the bar under control along the same path to the top of your traps, stopping at ear level if your shoulders do not reach the traps comfortably.
- Repeat for the planned reps, then step forward and set the bar back in the rack.
Common Mistakes
Pushing the head forward
Jutting the chin forward to clear the bar strains the neck and usually means the shoulders lack the mobility this variation needs.
Forcing the bar too low
Dragging the bar below the point your shoulders reach comfortably loads the front of the shoulder at the end of its range, so stop at the traps or at ear level, whichever you control.
Arching the lower back
Leaning back to make room for the bar moves the stress into the lumbar spine instead of the shoulders.
Bouncing off the traps
Dropping the bar onto the traps and rebounding loses control at the most exposed point of the lift and can strike the base of the neck.
Wrong grip width
A grip too narrow pushes the elbows behind the bar and a grip too wide cuts the press short, so set the hands where the forearms are vertical at the bottom.
Using front-press weights
Starting with your usual overhead press load overshoots what most lifters can control behind the neck, so build up from an empty bar.
Injuries
Barbell Behind the Neck Press is a high risk exercise when performed with proper technique. At the bottom the shoulders are held out to the sides and rotated back near the end of their range, the abducted and externally rotated position strength coaches flag for stress on the front of the shoulder joint and the rotator cuff, and the bar sits behind the head where you cannot see it. Most of that risk falls on lifters who lack the shoulder and upper-back mobility to reach the position and make up for it by pushing the head forward, arching the lower back or forcing the bar lower.
The usual strain points are the front of the shoulder, the rotator cuff tendons, the base of the neck where a dropped or bounced bar lands, and the lower back when the lifter leans back to find room. Check the position with a dowel before loading it, warm up the rotator cuff with Band Shoulder External Rotation, always start and finish the set in a rack, lower only as far as you control, and stop each set with a rep or two in reserve rather than grinding.
To regress, press from ear level instead of the traps, or return to pressing in front of the face with the Barbell Overhead Press or the Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press, where each hand finds its own path. Progress by adding small amounts of weight while every rep reaches the same depth; lifters training for weightlifting then move on to push press and jerk versions from behind the neck.
Stop the set if you feel sharp or pinching pain at the front or top of the shoulder, a sense that the shoulder might slip, painful clicking, neck pain, or numbness or tingling down the arm. Go back to pressing in front, and see a clinician if the pain lasts beyond a few days.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the behind-the-neck press safe?
It can be trained safely by lifters with healthy, mobile shoulders who use moderate loads and controlled depth, but it leaves less margin for error than pressing in front of the face. It is a poor choice for anyone with current shoulder pain or a history of the shoulder slipping out of place.
- Q: Does the behind-the-neck press build the side delts better than a front press?
Not reliably. A study of eight competitive bodybuilders pressing seated recorded more side and rear deltoid activity behind the neck, but a later seated study of 14 trained men found no side deltoid difference between the two bar paths. Both train the side delts, so pick the one your shoulders tolerate and add Dumbbell Lateral Raise if side delts are the goal.
- Q: How do I know if my shoulders are mobile enough for it?
Stand tall and press a dowel or empty bar behind your neck. If you can lower it to your traps without pushing your head forward, arching your lower back or feeling pinching at the front of the shoulder, you can start loading it lightly; if not, stay with the Barbell Overhead Press and work on upper-back mobility.
- Q: How much weight should I use compared with an overhead press?
Less than you press in front of the face. In the seated study of 14 trained men, the eight-rep max behind the neck averaged about 10% lower than in front, so start with an empty bar and add weight only while every rep reaches the same controlled depth.
- Q: Should I do it standing or seated?
Standing, as shown here, makes your legs and trunk hold you steady and matches how weightlifters use it. A seated version with a back pad takes the legs out of it, but it does not change the shoulder position, so the same mobility check applies.