Behind-the-Neck Push Press
A push press started from the upper traps behind the neck, using a short knee dip to drive the bar overhead. The straight bar path makes it a common jerk-training drill for overloading the lockout.
Primary muscles
- Front Delts
- Side Delts
- Triceps
Secondary muscles
- Quadriceps
- Glutes (Gluteus Maximus)
- Traps (Trapezius)
- Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
- Sets
- 3–5
- Reps
- 3–5
- Rest
- 120–180s
How to perform
Main muscles working (thicker lines)
Starting position
Stand with feet hip-width and the bar across your upper traps behind the neck, hands at jerk width with the elbows under the bar.
Brace and dip a few inches by bending the knees, keeping the torso vertical and hips under you.
Reverse the dip explosively, driving through your whole foot.
As the legs finish, press the bar straight up from behind the head to lockout.
Lower the bar back to the traps, absorbing it with a soft knee bend.
Breathing: Brace before the dip and hold it through the drive, then exhale at lockout.
Coaching tips
Straight down, straight up
Drive the bar off the traps
Legs start, arms finish
Common mistakes
Dipping by pushing the hips back
Pressing before the legs finish driving
Letting the bar crash onto the neck on the way down
Head poking forward under the bar
Safety notes
Needs good overhead mobility; stop if the shoulders pinch at the bottom.
Absorb the bar with the legs on every descent.
This information is general fitness guidance, not medical advice. Stop if you feel pain and consult a qualified professional.