Standing Behind Neck Press

Intermediate

Delts

Barbell

Skip the guesswork: Standing Behind Neck Press leans on heavy bilateral barbell loading for round, durable shoulder caps.

How to do Standing Behind Neck Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell behind your neck with an overhand grip.
Keep your back straight and core engaged.
Press the barbell overhead by extending your arms, fully extending your elbows.
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Add to an AI Workout Plan All Shoulders Exercises All Barbell Exercises

Standing Behind Neck Press Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.

Hypertrophy

4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.

Endurance

3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.

Common Standing Behind Neck Press Mistakes

Loading the bar unevenly or skipping the collars

Match the plates side to side and clip collars on every set.

Shrugging the traps up to finish the last few reps

Keep the shoulder blade down and end the set when the shrug appears.

Repeating the same load and rep scheme for months

Pick one variable, load, reps, or tempo, and push it every week.

Easier and Harder Than Standing Behind Neck Press

Easier progression

Dumbbell Scott Press

Harder progression

Dumbbell Standing One Arm Palm In Press

Swap Standing Behind Neck Press For

Cable Kneeling Rear Delt Row (with Rope) (male)

Dumbbell Seated Lateral Raise

Lever Shoulder Press V. 2

Standing Behind Neck Press — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Standing Behind Neck Press?

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell behind your neck with an overhand grip. Keep your back straight and core engaged. Press the barbell overhead by extending your arms, fully extending your elbows. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Standing Behind Neck Press work?

The Standing Behind Neck Press primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with a barbell.

How many sets and reps of the Standing Behind Neck Press should I do?

For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Standing Behind Neck Press good for beginners?

It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic shoulders patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.

What can I do instead of the Standing Behind Neck Press?

Try the Cable Kneeling Rear Delt Row (with Rope) (male), Dumbbell Seated Lateral Raise or the Lever Shoulder Press V. 2. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.