Smith Standing Military Press

Setup

1. 01Stand under the Smith bar so it lowers to the clavicles just in front of the face.
2. 02Grip the bar just outside shoulder width with forearms vertical.
3. 03Set feet at shoulder width and squeeze the glutes to lock the hips.
4. 04Brace the trunk before unhooking the bar.

Execution

1. 01Unhook the bar and lower it under control to upper chest level.
2. 02Press straight up along the rails, tilting the head back slightly to clear the bar.
3. 03Push the head through once the bar passes the forehead.
4. 04Lock the elbows fully with the bar over the shoulders, then lower for the next rep.

Checkpoints

• -No knee bend or leg drive; this is a strict press.
• -Glutes and abs stay tight so the lower back does not overarch.
• -Elbows track under the bar the whole way.
• -Full lockout on every rep with the head pushed through.

Common mistakes

• -Sneaking in a push-press style dip as the weight gets heavy.
• -Standing misaligned so the fixed path forces the bar around the face.
• -Overarching the lumbar spine instead of bracing.
• -Cutting reps short of lockout.