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Exercise library · Shoulders

Backpack shoulder press

Vertical press for the shoulders with other equipment.

How to do it

1 of 3

Backpack in front of your shoulders

  1. Starting position

    Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the backpack with both hands in front of your shoulders.

  2. The movement

    Press the backpack straight up until your arms are extended, then lower it with control to your shoulders.

Most common mistake

Don't arch your lower back as you press, brace your stomach and keep your rib cage still.

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Muscle group
Shoulders
Equipment
Other
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Reps

Muscles worked

The backpack shoulder press trains the same muscles as a regular overhead press. The front delts do most of the work, with the side delts and triceps assisting, while the trapezius and serratus anterior let your arms reach straight up. A backpack is awkward to hold and what is inside can move as you press, so your grip, forearms and trunk work harder to keep it still. It can therefore feel heavier than a dumbbell of the same weight.

Common mistakes

  • The contents slide around. A half-full pack is hard to control. Fill it so nothing can move, with the heaviest items against the back panel and the gaps stuffed with a towel or clothes.
  • Guessing what it weighs. Without a number, it is hard to tell if you are getting stronger. Stand on bathroom scales, first holding the backpack and then without it, and write down the difference.
  • The pack ends up in front of your head at the top. The weight then hangs out on a long lever and is hard to keep steady. Finish with the pack directly above your head, so your hands, shoulders and feet form a vertical line.

Variations and alternatives

  • The standing shoulder press with dumbbells is the same press when you have weights that go up in even steps.
  • The band overhead press is another home option, where the resistance builds towards the top.
  • The pike push-up usually takes over once you cannot pack the backpack any heavier.

Sets and reps

How you dose it depends on how heavy the backpack can get. If you manage 8 to 12 reps over three to four sets, it is heavy enough to build muscle. At 20 reps or more it has become an endurance exercise, and it is time to pack it heavier. The guide to sets and reps runs through the different ranges.

Progress by adding another book or water bottle and weighing the pack again. Water bottles are handy, since each litre is roughly a kilo. When you cannot fit any more in, lower the pack more slowly, over three to four seconds, and add reps. That is how progressive overload works without a gym. Check that the seams, handle and zip will hold before you press anything heavy overhead.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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