Barbell Standing Bradford Press

Setup

1. 01Take the bar from a rack at shoulder height with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. 02Step back and set feet hip to shoulder width apart.
3. 03Start with the bar in the front rack at the collarbones.
4. 04Brace the trunk and squeeze the glutes to lock the ribcage down.

Execution

1. 01Press the bar just high enough to clear the top of the head.
2. 02Pass it back and lower to the base of the neck.
3. 03Press again and return it to the collarbones in front.
4. 04Keep cycling front to back with smooth, continuous tempo.

Checkpoints

• -Elbows never reach lockout; tension stays on the delts the whole set.
• -The bar clears the head by an inch or two, no more.
• -The trunk stays braced with no backward lean in front or forward lean in back.
• -Head movement is subtle; the bar does the traveling.

Common mistakes

• -Pressing to lockout, which resets the tension and defeats the purpose.
• -Using leg drive to keep a too-heavy bar moving.
• -Overarching the low back when the bar is behind the head.
• -Forcing depth behind the neck beyond available mobility.