Barbell Pin Press

How to do the Barbell Pin Press

1. 1Set up a barbell on a power rack at chest height.
2. 2Stand facing the barbell and position yourself underneath it, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. 3Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
4. 4Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest, with your arms fully extended.
5. 5Lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
6. 6Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
7. 7Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
8. 8Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Squeeze the bar hard and keep the wrists straight over the elbows through the whole rep.

Muscles worked

Common mistakes

• Elbows flaring wide — on horizontal presses keep the elbows at roughly 45 degrees from the torso; pressing overhead, keep them under the weight instead.
• Losing the shoulder blade position — on bench-style presses set the shoulder blades back and down and keep them there; overhead, let the shoulder blades rotate up naturally with the arms.
• Bouncing or rushing the bottom — control the bar down and pause for a beat before driving up, especially on decline and close grip variations.
• Not committing to a variation — Bradford presses, skull presses and the like are hybrids; pick a fixed range and stick with it for the whole set.

Where it fits in a workout

Presses are the main movement in a push session and should go first or second. Superset them with a row or pulldown for a push and pull pair.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

When to talk to someone

• Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
• Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
• Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

More exercises

• All arms exercises
• All triceps exercises
• All barbell exercises
• Barbell triceps exercises
• Decline Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
• Barbell Bradford Press
• Seated Barbell Bradford Press
• Barbell Floor Press with Leg Twist
• Behind Neck Standing Barbell Shoulder Press
• Barbell Sit-Up Press

Sources

1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.