Bradford Press
Pressing the bar front-to-back over the head. Trains the whole shoulder. 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 Bradford Press
- Hold the bar on the front of your shoulders with a grip a little wider than shoulder width, feet hip width, core braced.
- Press the bar up just high enough to clear your head, then lower it behind your neck without locking the elbows.
- Press it back over your head and lower to the front again; that is one rep, and the arms never fully straighten.
- Use a light bar and keep the movement smooth; constant tension on the delts is the point, not the weight.
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 Bradford 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 Bradford 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 Bradford Press work?
It works mainly the front deltoid and lateral deltoid, with help from the trapezius and triceps.
How do you do Bradford Press?
Hold the bar on the front of your shoulders with a grip a little wider than shoulder width, feet hip width, core braced. Press the bar up just high enough to clear your head, then lower it behind your neck without locking the elbows. Press it back over your head and lower to the front again; that is one rep, and the arms never fully straighten. Use a light bar and keep the movement smooth; constant tension on the delts is the point, not the weight.
What is a good Bradford 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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