Shoulders
Dumbbell Z Press
The Dumbbell Z Press is a strength exercise with dumbbells for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 31%, side delts 18% and triceps (lateral head) 10%.
How to do it
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front and slightly apart, a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bring the dumbbells to your shoulders, palms facing in, and sit tall with no back support.
- Brace your core and push your heels into the floor.
- Press both dumbbells straight up until the arms are straight overhead.
- Lower them under control back to the shoulders.
Tips
- If your lower back rounds, sit on a folded mat to raise the hips.
- Keep the dumbbells over the hips, not in front of them.
Common mistakes
- Slumping as the arms go up.
- Leaning back to create an easier pressing angle.
- Letting the legs bend and lift.
Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Z 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.
Seated removes most of the trunk demand. 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 Z Press alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Band Shoulder Press
- Machine Overhead Press Seated
- Machine Shoulder Press
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Dumbbell Z Press work?
Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.
Is the Dumbbell Z Press good for beginners?
The Dumbbell Z Press is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Dumbbell Z Press?
For example the Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press, Band Shoulder Press and Barbell Z Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Dumbbell Z 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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