Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Press is built for your first months of training and works well after overhead pressing.
How to do Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a military press bench or utility bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs.
- Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position.
- Make sure to rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position.
- Now, exhale and push the dumbbells upward until they touch at the top.
- Then, after a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
Common Dumbbell Shoulder Press Mistakes
Letting the bells drift off the working path
Keep both dumbbells travelling the same line on every rep.
Driving the ribcage forward to fake overhead range
Squeeze the glutes and keep the ribs stacked over the hips.
Easier and Harder Than Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Swap Dumbbell Shoulder Press For
Dumbbell Shoulder Press — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Shoulder Press?
While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a military press bench or utility bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs. Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position. Make sure to rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position. Use dumbbells and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Dumbbell Shoulder Press work?
The Dumbbell Shoulder Press primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with dumbbells.
How many sets and reps of the Dumbbell Shoulder Press should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Dumbbell Shoulder Press good for beginners?
Yes. The Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Shoulder Press?
Try the Cable Supine Reverse Fly, Upright Barbell Row or the Kettlebell Alternating Press. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
