Exercises / Military press
Military press GIF
Figure
Male figure; the female figure follows.
Muscles
Background
Packs are delivered in the look you pick here.
Get it in this lookWorked muscles
- ShouldersMusculus deltoideus
- Front shouldersMusculus deltoideus, pars clavicularis
- Side shouldersMusculus deltoideus, pars acromialis
- Rotator cuffMusculi rotatores humeri
- TricepsMusculus triceps brachii
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- intermediate
- Loop
- One repetition, 4.3 seconds
Get this animation
Part of the shoulder press pack, all 8 shoulder press variations: male figure (the female figure follows), GIF, WebP and MP4 at 480 and 720 px, commercial license.
From the API
GET one exercise
curl https://api.exercisegif.com/v1/exercises/military-press \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $EXERCISEGIF_KEY"Returns the exercise with GIF, WebP and MP4 links for both figures. Docs
How to do a military press
- Sit with your back firmly against the bench pad and feet planted flat on the floor for stability
- Grip the barbell with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, positioning it at shoulder level across your upper chest
- Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire movement
- Press the barbell straight up overhead in a controlled motion, avoiding pressing forward or backward
- Lower the weight slowly back to shoulder level, maintaining control and stopping when the bar reaches chin height
- Keep your wrists straight and elbows slightly forward throughout the movement
Form tips
- Keep your core engaged and avoid arching your back excessively during the press
- Use a full grip on the barbell rather than a thumbless grip for better control and safety
- Lower the weight only to shoulder level to protect your shoulder joints from overextension
- Start with lighter weight to master the form before progressing to heavier loads
- Breathe out during the pressing phase and inhale while lowering the weight
