Leverage Shoulder PressMuscles Worked
The leverage shoulder press works your shoulders, especially the front delts, with your triceps helping to straighten your arms. Because the machine guides the path, you can focus on pushing hard without having to balance a bar or dumbbells.
How to do it
- Load the machine with a weight you can control and adjust the seat so the handles start near the top of your shoulders.
- Sit tall with your back against the pad and your chest up, gripping the handles with your palms facing forward.
- Press the handles overhead until your arms are straight, without slamming into a hard lockout.
- Lower the handles slowly, stopping just before the weight touches down so your shoulders stay loaded.
- Keep going for the rest of the set, and let the weight settle fully only after your final rep.
Form tips
- Set the seat so the handles begin around shoulder level, not well below it.
- Keep your lower back against the pad instead of arching to grind out the last reps.
Why it made the list
No. 12 of 13
Best Shoulder Exercises
Machine pressing is ideal for beginners or burnout sets. Guided path removes stabilization demands.
More shoulder exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Leverage Shoulder Press sets in KasMaker and watch your shoulders and triceps fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
