How is it different from a regular push press?

The bar starts on the upper back instead of the front of the shoulders, so it travels straight up without moving around the face and finishes directly over the back of the neck. The elbows point out to the sides rather than forward, and the start position asks for more shoulder and upper-back mobility than the front Push Press.

Can I lift more weight from behind the neck?

Some lifters can, because the straighter bar path is easier to drive, but it depends on how comfortably the shoulders hold the position. Treat the two lifts separately and build the behind-the-neck version up from an empty bar rather than starting at your front push press weight.

Is it the same as a behind-the-neck jerk?

No. In a push press the knees bend once, for the dip, and the arms press the bar the rest of the way. In a jerk the lifter drives the bar up and then drops under it, either with a second knee bend as in the Barbell Power Jerk or with the feet split as in the Barbell Split Jerk.

Is the behind-the-neck push press bad for your shoulders?

Not for lifters with healthy shoulders who can hold the bar on their traps and press it overhead without pinching or straining their neck. It is a poor fit for anyone with shoulder pain, past shoulder instability or limited overhead mobility, and the front push press trains the same leg drive without that position.

What grip width should I use?

Use a jerk grip, a little wider than shoulder width, so the forearms sit close to vertical under the bar when it rests on the traps. A grip that is too narrow forces the shoulders further back to reach the bar, while a much wider one shortens the press but makes the lockout harder to stabilize.

Barbell Behind the Neck Push Press

What Is the Barbell Behind the Neck Push Press?

Barbell Behind the Neck Push Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the triceps, upper trapezius, quadriceps and glutes. It is an advanced-level movement that starts with the bar resting on the upper back, as in a back squat, and uses a short dip and drive of the legs to get the bar moving before the arms press it to lockout overhead.

The lift comes from Olympic weightlifting, where it is used as an accessory for the jerk. It trains the same dip and drive and the timing between the leg drive and the push of the arms. Because the bar starts behind the head, it can travel straight up without having to move around the face, which makes the finished overhead position, with the bar over the back of the neck and the head through the arms, easier to find. Coaches use it to teach that position, as a primer before jerks, and in complexes with the front-racked Push Press so the lifter learns to reach the same lockout from the front.

The deltoids and triceps finish the press, while the upper trapezius and serratus anterior rotate the shoulder blades upward and hold the bar securely overhead. The legs supply the first part of the lift, so it moves noticeably more weight than a strict Barbell Behind the Neck Press and builds the ability to transfer force from the legs through a braced trunk into the bar. Compared with the front push press, the elbows sit out to the sides under the bar rather than in front of it, and the upper back works harder to hold the bar in place. If the knees bend a second time to catch the bar, the lift becomes a push jerk, and splitting the feet turns it into a Barbell Split Jerk.

It suits weightlifters, CrossFit athletes and experienced lifters with healthy shoulders who can hold a bar on the traps and press it overhead without strain. Build up with the Barbell Overhead Press and the front Push Press first, and check the behind-the-neck position with a dowel or an empty bar before loading it. Lifters who cannot reach that position comfortably get the same leg-driven training effect from the front push press or the Dumbbell Push Press.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): High
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): High
Upper Trapezius: High
Vastus Lateralis: High
Vastus Medialis: High
Gluteus Maximus: Medium
Rectus Femoris: Medium
Serratus Anterior: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Medium

Instructions

Set the bar in a rack at about shoulder height, step under it and rest it on your upper traps, as for a back squat.
Take an overhand grip a little wider than shoulder width, so your forearms sit close to vertical under the bar.
Unrack the bar, step back and stand with your feet about hip width apart and your toes turned out slightly.
Take a breath, brace your trunk and keep your weight over the whole foot.
Dip a few inches by bending only your knees, keeping your torso angle the same and your hips under the bar.
Without pausing at the bottom, drive hard through your legs so the bar leaves your back, and start pressing with your arms as your legs straighten.
Press the bar straight up until your elbows lock, finishing with the bar over the back of your neck and your feet flat on the floor.
Hold the lockout for a moment, then lower the bar under control to your upper traps, softening your knees to absorb it.
Reset your brace before each rep, and rack the bar when the set is done.

Common Mistakes

Sitting the hips back in the dip
Pushing the hips back and tipping the chest forward sends the drive forward instead of up, so the bar leaves the back off line and has to be chased overhead.
Cutting the leg drive short
Starting to press before the legs finish extending wastes the drive, leaving the shoulders to move a load that only the legs could start.
Leaning back to finish
Arching the lower back to get under a slow bar loads the spine and turns the lift into a standing incline press.
Rebending the knees
Dropping under the bar a second time to catch it turns the lift into a push jerk and hides a press that is not finishing on its own.
Letting the bar crash onto the neck
Dropping the bar back onto the upper back without bending the knees to absorb it jars the base of the neck and the shoulders.
Loading it before the position is there
Using front push press weights before you can hold the behind-the-neck position comfortably puts the shoulders under load at the edge of their range.

Injuries

Barbell Behind the Neck Push Press is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The legs drive the bar off the back, so the shoulders do not have to grind the weight up from the bottom the way they do in a strict behind-the-neck press. The start position still holds the arms out to the sides and rotated back near the end of their range, though, and the bar returns to the upper back on every rep. The usual strain points are the front of the shoulder and the rotator cuff, the base of the neck when the bar drops onto it, the lower back when the lifter leans back to finish, and the knees in a dip that is too deep or loose.

The behind-the-neck position is what decides who should do this lift. A review of weightlifting overhead pressing lifts advises athletes with limited overhead shoulder mobility or a shoulder injury to consider avoiding the versions started from behind the neck. Anyone with current shoulder pain, a history of the shoulder slipping out of place, or neck problems should use the front Push Press or the Dumbbell Push Press instead. To check the position, rest a dowel on the traps with your pressing grip and press it overhead. If that takes pushing the head forward, arching the lower back or a pinch at the front of the shoulder, stay with front pressing and work on upper-back mobility with Foam Roller Thoracic Extension and Band Pass-Through.

Warm up the rotator cuff with Band Shoulder External Rotation, start and finish each set in a rack, and build up from an empty bar. Lower the bar under control and soften the knees as it lands on the traps rather than letting it drop onto the neck. Once the push press is solid, the Barbell Power Jerk and Barbell Split Jerk are the natural progressions. Stop the set for sharp or pinching shoulder pain, a feeling of the shoulder slipping, neck pain, or numbness or tingling down the arm, and see a clinician if pain lasts beyond a few days.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders and quads
Equipment: Barbell
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Advanced

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Barbell Behind the Neck Push Press

The Barbell Behind the Neck Push Press is also known as:

Behind the Head Push Press

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is it different from a regular push press?: The bar starts on the upper back instead of the front of the shoulders, so it travels straight up without moving around the face and finishes directly over the back of the neck. The elbows point out to the sides rather than forward, and the start position asks for more shoulder and upper-back mobility than the front Push Press.
Q: Can I lift more weight from behind the neck?: Some lifters can, because the straighter bar path is easier to drive, but it depends on how comfortably the shoulders hold the position. Treat the two lifts separately and build the behind-the-neck version up from an empty bar rather than starting at your front push press weight.
Q: Is it the same as a behind-the-neck jerk?: No. In a push press the knees bend once, for the dip, and the arms press the bar the rest of the way. In a jerk the lifter drives the bar up and then drops under it, either with a second knee bend as in the Barbell Power Jerk or with the feet split as in the Barbell Split Jerk.
Q: Is the behind-the-neck push press bad for your shoulders?: Not for lifters with healthy shoulders who can hold the bar on their traps and press it overhead without pinching or straining their neck. It is a poor fit for anyone with shoulder pain, past shoulder instability or limited overhead mobility, and the front push press trains the same leg drive without that position.
Q: What grip width should I use?: Use a jerk grip, a little wider than shoulder width, so the forearms sit close to vertical under the bar when it rests on the traps. A grip that is too narrow forces the shoulders further back to reach the bar, while a much wider one shortens the press but makes the lockout harder to stabilize.