Machine Shoulder Press
Also known as: machine military press
A fixed path and a full back pad strip away the balance demands that make free-weight overhead work slow to learn, so you can focus purely on pushing hard. Set the seat so the handles start at ear height, not down at your collarbones. It also lets you train within a rep of failure without a spotter.
How to do the Machine Shoulder Press
- Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your back against the backrest.
- Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Push the handles upward until your arms are fully extended, but do not lock your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Take a breath and brace before unracking, then press up and slightly back so the bar ends over the middle of the foot.
Muscles worked
Primary
Delts · Shoulders
The front and side delts drive the weight off the shoulders and should carry the load all the way to lockout; the burn builds across the whole shoulder cap.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back into an incline — if the lower back arches hard, the chest is doing the work; squeeze the glutes, brace the abs and keep the ribs down.
- Pressing around the head — the bar should travel straight up, so pull the chin back to let it pass, then push the head through at the top.
- Stopping short of lockout — finish with the arms straight and the bar stacked over the shoulders and hips, shoulders shrugged slightly up at the top.
- Elbows drifting behind the bar — keep the elbows slightly in front of the bar at the bottom, with the wrists stacked straight above them.
Where it fits in a workout
Overhead presses go first in a shoulder session or second after bench in a push day. Superset them with a pulldown or pull-up for a vertical push and pull pair.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without machine
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.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.