Shoulder Press Machine

Equipment

Also known as

How to do it

Adjust the seat so the handles sit at about shoulder height when you sit down. Sit with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.

1. 1.Grip the handles just wider than your shoulders, with your wrists stacked over your elbows.
2. 2.Tighten your stomach and keep your back against the pad.
3. 3.Press the handles up until your arms are almost straight, without locking your elbows hard.
4. 4.Lower the handles slowly back to about shoulder height.
5. 5.Pause briefly at the bottom without letting the weight stack rest, then press again.

Common mistakes

• Arching your lower back off the pad to push more weight.
• Setting the seat too high, which shortens each rep.
• Bouncing out of the bottom position.
• Shrugging your shoulders toward your ears at the top.

Variations

Neutral-grip press

Use the handles that face each other, if the machine has them. Your elbows stay a little in front of your body instead of out to the sides.

Single-arm machine press

Press one handle at a time on a machine with independent arms to check that both sides do the same work.

Alternatives

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press: A free-weight press where each arm moves on its own.
• Overhead Press: The standing barbell press, which also trains balance and trunk strength.
• Arnold Press: A dumbbell press with a rotation that adds work for the front of the shoulder.
• Landmine Press: An angled press with a barbell anchored at one end.

Related exercises

Pike Push-upFront delts, Side delts, TricepsFront RaiseFront delts, Side deltsChest StretchChest, Front delts, Side deltsHandstand Push-upFront delts, TricepsJump RopeCalves, Front delts, Side deltsShoulder StretchFront delts, Side delts