Behind the Neck Press
Behind-the-neck press. Needs great shoulder mobility and clean technique. It works mainly the front deltoid and lateral deltoid, with help from the trapezius and triceps.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 0.8× bodyweight (65 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.55× (32.5 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Behind the Neck Press
- Take the bar from the rack onto the base of your neck with a grip a little wider than the shoulders, and step back.
- Brace your core and press the bar straight up to locked arms over your head.
- Lower with control to just below ear level, not all the way to the neck if the shoulders don't allow it.
- This needs good shoulder mobility; if the elbows can't get behind the bar comfortably, use a normal overhead press instead.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Front deltoid | Deltoideus anterior |
| Primary | Lateral deltoid | Deltoideus medialis |
| Secondary | Trapezius | Trapezius |
| Secondary | Triceps | Triceps brachii |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Overhead strength with the whole body braced
- Round, full front delts
- Honest measure of upper-body strength
Strength standards for Behind the Neck Press
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.55× | 0.4× | 45 kg | 25 kg |
| Gold | 0.8× | 0.55× | 65 kg | 32.5 kg |
| Platinum | 1.05× | 0.75× | 85 kg | 45 kg |
| Diamond | 1.35× | 0.95× | 107.5 kg | 57.5 kg |
| Obsidian | 1.7× | 1.15× | 135 kg | 70 kg |
| Painite | 2× | 1.4× | 160 kg | 85 kg |
| Antimatter | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Behind the Neck Press, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Behind the Neck Press work?
It works mainly the front deltoid and lateral deltoid, with help from the trapezius and triceps.
How do you do Behind the Neck Press?
Take the bar from the rack onto the base of your neck with a grip a little wider than the shoulders, and step back. Brace your core and press the bar straight up to locked arms over your head. Lower with control to just below ear level, not all the way to the neck if the shoulders don't allow it. This needs good shoulder mobility; if the elbows can't get behind the bar comfortably, use a normal overhead press instead.
What is a good Behind the Neck Press for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 0.8× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.55× for women, Diamond at 1.35× and 0.95×. For an 80 kg man that is a 65 kg and a 107.5 kg one-rep max.
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