How to Lower the Bar Behind the Neck
Lowering weights behind the neck is the same as to the front, but a couple points to keep in mind:
First: It’s BEHIND the neck… not ON the neck. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to gather the traps and create a muscular shelf for the bar. The bar should NEVER be in contact with your spine.
Second: If you can’t press behind the neck in whatever grip width you’re using, don’t do it with any significant weight—it’s not worth the risk.
Third: Keep your trunk upright—only lean forward as much as you do in the overhead position. Don’t turn lowering the bar into a ballistic negative good morning.
Lowering behind the neck is commonly scarier than the front—but it doesn’t need to be.
You simply need to a) have adequate mobility to get the bar into position smoothly and b) put it in the right place.
Like I’ve said before about lowering jerks, it’s a skill—it’s not just being tough enough to drop weight onto yourself. In fact, when done correctly, there’s very little dropping at all.
Practice with every rep, even with the lightest weights—that’s how you develop the skill.
First: It’s BEHIND the neck… not ON the neck. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to gather the traps and create a muscular shelf for the bar. The bar should NEVER be in contact with your spine.
Second: If you can’t press behind the neck in whatever grip width you’re using, don’t do it with any significant weight—it’s not worth the risk.
Third: Keep your trunk upright—only lean forward as much as you do in the overhead position. Don’t turn lowering the bar into a ballistic negative good morning.
Lowering behind the neck is commonly scarier than the front—but it doesn’t need to be.
You simply need to a) have adequate mobility to get the bar into position smoothly and b) put it in the right place.
Like I’ve said before about lowering jerks, it’s a skill—it’s not just being tough enough to drop weight onto yourself. In fact, when done correctly, there’s very little dropping at all.
Practice with every rep, even with the lightest weights—that’s how you develop the skill.
