Barbell Standing Shoulders Press

The Barbell Standing Shoulders Press is an effective exercise for building shoulder strength and stability. You perform this exercise while standing, which engages your core and lower body as well.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell at shoulder height with an overhand grip.
  2. Engage your core and press the barbell overhead until your arms are fully extended.
  3. Lower the barbell back to shoulder height with control.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Barbell Standing Shoulders Press

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Standing Shoulders Press using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your triceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your triceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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