Skip to content
ascend.
Exercise guide

Standing Bradford Press

How to do the Standing Bradford Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundBarbellBeginnerPush
Primary muscles

Shoulders

Secondary

Triceps

Equipment

Barbell

Step by step

How to do the Standing Bradford Press

  1. 1

    Place a loaded bar at shoulder level in a rack. With a pronated grip at shoulder width, begin with the bar racked across the front of your shoulders. This is your starting position.

  2. 2

    Initiate the lift by extending the elbows to press the bar overhead. Avoid locking out the elbow as you move the weight behind your head.

  3. 3

    Lower the bar down to the back of the head until your elbow forms a right angle.

  4. 4

    Lift the bar back over your head by extending the elbows

  5. 5

    Lower the bar down to the starting position.

  6. 6

    Alternate in this manner until you complete the recommended amount of repetitions.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Standing Bradford Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More shoulders exercises

Ascend Club

The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.

Core tracking stays free forever — the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.

See Club plans

14-day free trial · no card to start

 FreeClub
Tracking, the climb and streaks
Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables
Muscle-league tiers
The AI coachnudgesFull conversation
Worldwide leagues and challenges
PR projections and deep analytics
Unlimited crews
Themes, export and higher AI limits