Shoulders
Arnold Press
The Arnold Press is a strength exercise with dumbbells for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 32%, side delts 17% and triceps (lateral head) 9%.
Also known as: arnold dumbbell press, rotating press
How to do it
- Stand with feet hip-width and hold two dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing you.
- Keep the elbows in front of the body and the core braced.
- Press the dumbbells up while turning the palms outward and opening the elbows to the sides.
- Finish with the arms straight overhead and the palms facing forward.
- Reverse the rotation on the way down back to palms facing you.
Tips
- Make the turn smooth and gradual across the whole press.
- Keep the ribs down so the lower back does not arch.
Common mistakes
- Rotating all at once at the bottom and then pressing.
- Leaning back to push the weight up.
- Stopping the press short of straight arms.
Muscles worked by the Arnold Press
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
The rotation starts in deep shoulder flexion. Pressing overhead is shoulder flexion and abduction with elbow extension: the front delt leads, the lateral delt and triceps assist, and the upper traps and serratus rotate the shoulder blade up.
Arnold Press alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
- Band Shoulder Press
- Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
- Plate Loaded Shoulder Press
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Arnold Press work?
Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.
Is the Arnold Press good for beginners?
The Arnold Press is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Band Shoulder Press first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Arnold Press?
For example the Band Shoulder Press, Overhead Press and Dumbbell Military Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Arnold Press harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Barbell Z Press and Z Press.
Sources
- Saeterbakken and Fimland 2013, JSCR 27(7):1824-1831 (standing, seated, barbell, dumbbell)
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