Shoulders
Bradford Press
The Bradford Press is a strength exercise with a barbell for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 30%, side delts 20% and triceps (lateral head) 9%.
Also known as: alternating press
How to do it
- Unrack a light barbell onto the front of your shoulders with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Stand tall with feet hip-width and the core braced.
- Press the bar up just high enough to clear the top of your head.
- Move it back over your head and lower it to behind the neck.
- Press it up just over the head again and bring it back down to the front, alternating each rep.
Tips
- Keep the bar only a few centimetres above the head so the shoulders never lock out and stay under tension.
- Use a light load and move smoothly.
Common mistakes
- Pressing all the way to lockout on every pass.
- Hitting the head because the bar path is too low.
- Leaning forward and back to move the bar instead of the arms.
Muscles worked by the Bradford Press
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Pressing from behind the head is abduction in the frontal plane. Pressing overhead is shoulder flexion and abduction with elbow extension: the front delt leads, the lateral delt and triceps assist, and the upper traps and serratus rotate the shoulder blade up.
Bradford Press alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Band Shoulder Press
- Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
- Plate Loaded Shoulder Press
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Bradford Press work?
Mainly the front delts and side delts. The triceps (lateral head), triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.
Is the Bradford Press good for beginners?
The Bradford Press is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Bradford Press?
For example the Barbell Behind Neck Press, Arnold Press and Dumbbell Military Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Bradford Press harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Barbell Z Press and Z Press.
Sources
- Saeterbakken and Fimland 2013, JSCR 27(7):1824-1831 (standing, seated, barbell, dumbbell)
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