Homemade shoulder press machine

First, let me give credit where credit is due: A thread over at BB.com inspired me to make my own homemade shoulder press machine or Viking press.

What's a Viking press? It's used in powerlifting competitions:

This exercise allows you to use more weight than standing dumbbell or barbell presses, because unlike the free-weight press where you have to clean and press the weight into position, the weight is already in lifting position so you can lift more. This exercise is for developing full body explosive power and strength.

Here's another lifter's Viking press. Skip ahead to the 2:07 minute mark.

I tried his way, which does work, but it's a pain to set up (and I only have one barbell) and once you start to pile weight on one end the pivot end starts to rise up (almost killed myself). You have to add weight to the pivot end as a counterweight.

I can up with my own Viking or homemade shoulder press machine using my power rack, Olympic/lat blaster bar and I built my own fixture out of wood. Yes, it looks like a birdhouse!

The wood fixture keeps the barbell from rising up when weight is placed on the other end and the fixture can pivot on the saber spotter and there is also side to side movement because the hole is slightly large then the Olympic barbell.

Because the lat bar/Olympic bar floats (not locked into a fixed position) both arms have to equally carry the load. You can either do this exercise standing still using nothing but your upper body to press the weight or you can really pile on the weight and use leg drive like the powerlifter is doing in the first video.

Keep liftin'