This exercise can be performed seated on the smith machine, seated with a barbell, or standing with a barbell.
Set the safety pins in place just below chin level.
Start with the bar already on the safety pins.
Set up with a shoulder-width or slightly wider than shoulder-width grip on the bar and arrange your body just like you would with a regular shoulder press.
Press the bar up and slightly back so the bar ends up directly overhead, then slowly lower it back onto the safety pins, let it come to a complete stop on the pins, and press again for the second repetition. Do not bounce the bar off the pins.
Dead-stop training is great because it takes out the momentum and stretch reflex, which makes the exercise more challenging and helps increase strength and power. You won’t be able to use as much as you would be able to with a regular barbell overhead press.
