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Machine shoulder press

Also called seated shoulder press machine, shoulder press machine, lever shoulder press.

What is a machine shoulder press?

The machine shoulder press is a seated vertical press with handles that move on a guided path. It mainly trains the anterior deltoids, while the lateral deltoids and triceps help press the handles overhead.

Anatomical illustration of a seated machine shoulder press shown at the bottom and overhead positions, with the shoulders and triceps highlighted.

How do you perform a machine shoulder press?

Set up

  1. Adjust the seat so the handles begin around shoulder height, then sit with your back against the pad.
  2. Plant your feet, brace your midsection and take an even grip that lets your forearms sit under the handles.

Execution

  1. Press the handles upward until your arms are straight without forcing the elbows into a hard lock.
  2. Keep your back and hips against the pads as the levers move.
  3. Lower under control until the handles return to a comfortable shoulder-level start.

Common mistakes

  • Setting the seat too low

    Starting far below the shoulders can make the bottom position cramped. Raise the seat until the handles are comfortable to grasp.

  • Arching away from the backrest

    The movement then becomes less repeatable and shifts away from the supported setup.

  • Using a grip too wide for the machine

    An excessively wide grip can reduce the available range. Choose the handle position that keeps the forearms under the hands.

Where it fits in a session

Use it as a main shoulder press or after a free-weight press for additional shoulder and triceps work.

Record the seat height and handle choice so each session starts from the same position.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The anterior deltoid is the main target. The lateral deltoid and triceps assist the guided press.

Variations

  • Two-frame anatomical illustration of a seated dumbbell shoulder press. A muscled figure sits on a bench with the back pad upright, feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palms facing forward. In the left frame the dumbbells are at shoulder height, elbows bent and out to the sides. In the right frame the arms are pressed to straight overhead, the dumbbells almost touching above the head. The shoulders and the chest are shaded red in both frames; in the overhead frame the shading extends down the upper arms as well. The legs, torso and bench are left grey.
    Dumbbell shoulder pressEach hand balances a free weight instead of following a linked machine path.
  • Anatomical illustration of a standing barbell overhead press, drawn as two frames side by side. On the left the figure stands upright with feet about hip-width apart, holding a loaded barbell across the front of the shoulders with the elbows under the bar and the forearms vertical. On the right the same figure has pressed the bar to straight arms above and slightly behind the head. The bar is lifted from the front of the shoulders rather than taken out of a rack, and the figure is standing, not seated. In both frames the shoulder muscles are shaded red over the front and side of each shoulder; in the overhead frame the shading continues down the back of each upper arm over the triceps. The rest of the body is drawn in plain grey.
    Barbell overhead pressUses a free bar and requires the lifter to control the bar path.
  • Single-arm machine shoulder press — Uses one lever at a time when the machine has independent arms.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the machine shoulder press work?

It mainly trains the anterior deltoids. The lateral deltoids and triceps assist as the handles move overhead.

How high should the seat be?

Set it so the handles begin around shoulder height and your forearms can sit under your hands without a cramped bottom position.

Is a machine shoulder press the same as a dumbbell shoulder press?

They use the same vertical pressing pattern, but the machine guides the handles while dumbbells must be balanced independently.

Should your back stay on the pad?

Yes. Keep the hips and back supported instead of leaning away to finish the rep.

Sources

  1. Elzanie A, Varacallo MA. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Deltoid Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537056/
  2. Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/

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