Shoulders
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a strength exercise with dumbbells for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 31%, side delts 17% and triceps (lateral head) 9%.
Also known as: db press, db shoulder press, schouderdrukken met dumbbells, standing dumbbell shoulder press
How to do it
- Stand with feet hip-width and a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
- Brace your core and keep the elbows under the wrists, slightly in front of the body.
- Press the dumbbells up until the arms are straight overhead.
- Pause briefly with the dumbbells stacked over the shoulders.
- Lower them under control back to shoulder height.
Tips
- Keep the ribs pulled down to avoid arching the lower back.
- Lower to at least ear height for a full range.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back and turning it into an incline press.
- Using the legs to bounce the weight up.
- Letting the elbows flare fully behind the body.
Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Shoulder 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.
Dumbbells travel wider and need more stabilising (Saeterbakken 2013). 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.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
- Band Shoulder Press
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
- Plate Loaded Shoulder Press
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Dumbbell Shoulder Press work?
Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.
Is the Dumbbell Shoulder Press good for beginners?
The Dumbbell Shoulder 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 Dumbbell Shoulder Press?
For example the Dumbbell Military Press, Kettlebell Double Press and Band Shoulder Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Dumbbell Shoulder 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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