Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 2. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 3. Lift the barbell up to shoulder level, resting it on your upper chest and shoulders, with your elbows pointing forward. 4. Engage your core and keep your back straight. 5. Exhale, and extend your arms upward, pushing the barbell overhead. 6. Fully extend your arms, without locking your elbows. 7. Inhale, and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position, keeping your elbows slightly in front of your body. 8. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Standing Wide Military 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 deltoids.
  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 deltoids 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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