Military Press Technique and Proper Form

I used to hate the military press when I first started working out simply because I was very bad at it. This is an exercise that is difficult to perform correctly as it doesn’t just work the arms, shoulders, and upper back but also stimulates your core muscles. Just to keep yourself steady during this exercise is a challenge. I’m not kidding. I see people swaying like leaves in the wind while performing a military press.

Now, that I’ve become stronger and better with my technique, I find that this is one of the best exercises that you can do to build all around upper body strength. The only problem is that a lot of people can’t seem to do it right.

In this article I want to talk about the proper form and technique of doing a military press. I hope that my step by step explanation will help you to do it right.

How to Do a Barbell Military Press

1. Place the appropriate weight on your barbell (and make it even). This changes from one person to the next so you need to adjust the weight according to your ability and workout method.

2. If you’re doing this exercise in the gym, set the bar on a Smith Machine at the height of your shoulders. This way you won’t have to make the additional movement of lifting it upward.

3. Grab the bar with both hands in an overhand grip. I recommend using workout gloves to reduce friction with the bar and improving your grip.

4. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. I stand with my feet a bit wider as it’s easier to stabilize myself this way.

5. Clench your abs and press the barbell over your head in one fluid movement.

6. You may need to move your head backward a bit in order to let the bar pass cleanly over your head. Make sure to not sway your back while doing so.

7. Hold the bar with outstretched arms over your head for a second.

8. Lower the bar down to the starting position.

There you go. This is one rep. Ready for another? Go!

Tips

1. Don’t use your legs to force the bar higher. The movement needs to come from your arms alone. All your legs need to do is to hold steady.

2. Always make sure that your abs are tight before performing the military press itself. You want maximum stability.

3. The movement has to be even. If you’re compensating with one arm for the weakness of the other, you need to use a different weight. By the way, I am referring to the movement up and the one down.

4. Keep your knees slightly bent.

5. Ask someone to watch you do the exercise. Sometimes, you can’t tell that you’re swaying your back yourself.

Here’s a video which shows how the exercise is done:

In Conclusion

The military press is an excellent exercise that you can perform to improve upper body strength and size and achieve a powerful core. Try it with different barbells and weight and always make sure to maintain the correct form and technique.