Neck Press

What it is

This barbell exercise involves pressing a weight while lying on a flat bench, targeting your upper body. It primarily works your chest muscles. Your shoulders and triceps also contribute significantly as you push the weight in this compound movement.

Technique tips

• Use a medium grip, creating a 90-degree angle at your elbows.
• Start with the barbell locked directly over your neck.
• Lower the bar slowly to your neck as you inhale.
• Control the descent; it should take twice as long as the lift.
• Push the bar up using your chest as you exhale.
• Briefly squeeze your chest at the top of the movement.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.