Exercise

Bradford Press

Also known as: barbell seated bradford rocky press, rocky press, rainbow press

Bradford Press is a compound exercise for the shoulders. Main target: anterior deltoid. Also works: lateral deltoid, triceps lateral head and upper traps. Equipment: barbell.

EquipmentBarbell

TypeCompound (multi-joint)

MovementPush

CategoryStrength

Muscles worked

Primary

Anterior deltoid

Secondary

Lateral deltoid Triceps lateral head Upper traps

How to do it

Sit on a bench holding a barbell at your upper chest with a slightly wider than shoulder grip.
Press the bar up just enough to clear your head, then lower it behind your neck.
Press it back over to the front without locking out the elbows — the bar travels in a shallow arc over your head.
Keep alternating front-to-back; one full circuit counts as one rep.