Skip to content

Dumbbell shoulder press

Add to my week

Build a free week around it — no account needed until you save.

Muscles worked

High load
Delts · Front
Medium load
Delts · Side
Low load
Core and Triceps

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Sit or stand tall with the dumbbells at shoulder height and the wrists stacked over the elbows. Press up until the arms are nearly straight, stopping just short of clashing the bells, then lower under control to the ears. Keep the ribs down and the core braced — an arched lower back is the most common failure point on this press.

Form cues

  • Wrists stacked over the elbows
  • Stop just short of clashing the bells

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

ShoulderElbow

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.

Harder variants