Shoulder press with dumbbells: benefits and form guide and video

Few muscle groups are as important as your shoulders. Muscles around and around the shoulders, including the rhomboids, deltoids, and trapezius.-They are used for everything from push-ups to carrying food.

An exercise that strengthens these essential muscles is the shoulder press with dumbbells. A staple of any high-caliber gym routine, the dumbbell shoulder press is a great exercise for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and gym enthusiasts alike.

Whether you're hitting the gym for the first time or looking to improve your form, this guide to dumbbell shoulder presses has everything you need to know.

Shoulder Press Basics

The shoulder press (also called the overhead press) is an upper body workout that strengthens the shoulders and improves mobility in the rotator cuff. It is done by lifting weights directly above the head.

Any shoulder press exercise—whether you do it with a machine, a medicine ball, or dumbbells—targets several major muscles that support the shoulder, including:

• Deltoids
• triceps
• trapezium
• Upper chest (pectoralis major)

Thanks to its versatility and simplicity, the dumbbell shoulder press is popular among beginners and veterans After all, no special equipment is required: all you need is a pair of dumbbells.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Benefits

If dumbbell shoulder presses aren't part of your workout routine, they should be. Shoulder presses can help you:

• Build upper body strength - Every time you lift dumbbells overhead, you promote muscle growth in your shoulders and arms. You won't do it alone see shoulder press results in your upper body, but you will feel as other upper body workouts become easier with constant effort.
• Improve shoulder stability – When you do dumbbell shoulder presses, you're not just lifting weights, you're also working on keeping them straight and still. This aspect of the exercise engages the small stabilizing muscles in the shoulder joints (suprespinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor) that hold the shoulder in place. Ultimately, improving shoulder stability can reduce the risk of upper body injuries.
• Increase overall fitness - Like any exercise, the dumbbell shoulder press burns calories and improves your endurance, contributing to your overall well-being.

How to do shoulder press with dumbbells

Of course, if you want to reap the benefits of the dumbbell shoulder press, you need to execute the movement correctly. Proper form protects you from injury and ensures the best possible results.

To complete a set of shoulder presses with dumbbells, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Choose your dumbbells - Choosing the right weight is essential. Start with a pair of dumbbells, then work your way up.
• Step 2: Position yourself - Take your dumbbells to an open space in the gym, then square your legs shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and squeeze your hamstrings and glutes.
• Step 3: Prepare the dumbbells – One by one, lift the dumbbells up, palms facing out, until they are level with your ears. Bend your elbows at 90º and rotate slightly.
• Step 4: Press the dumbbells up – With control, raise the dumbbells, straightening the arms without fully locking the elbows.
• Step 5: Slowly lower the dumbbells – With equal control, let the weights return to the starting position.

A typical set of shoulder presses with dumbbells is 5-10 reps, but you can do as many or as few as you want, whatever is best!

Tips for the Perfect Shoulder Press

Want to maximize muscle growth and avoid progress-stopping injuries? Here are some good practices to keep in mind when doing shoulder presses:

• Start with light weights - Although it can be tempting to reach impressive 30 kilos, resist that desire. Even if you are used to doing bigger dumbbells, we recommend that you start small to build up your shoulder strength. After a few sessions with lighter weights, you can experiment with heavier dumbbells.
• Focus on technique – The first few times you try shoulder presses, go as slowly as possible and pay attention to how your arms, legs and back are positioned. You may want to start in front of a weightless mirror. This way, you can fix your shape.
• Elbows in - As mentioned, your elbows should point slightly forward, instead of to the side. When the elbows stick out too far, there is a risk of putting stress on the shoulder joint and rotator cuff muscles, making injury more likely. Also, tucking your elbows in engages the target muscles even more. Aim for an angle of 30-45º.
• Avoid leaning backwards - Arching your back during shoulder presses can cause unnecessary strain on your spine, so keep your back as straight as possible. A supervisor can help correct your posture.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Variations

Although the standing shoulder press with dumbbells is the most common, there is more than one way to engage the shoulder muscles.

Seated Shoulder Press

To perform a seated dumbbell shoulder press, set the back box of an adjustable weight bench at a steep angle, one or two "clicks" before the top.

From there, lean back against the pad, bring the dumbbells to your shoulders and lift them overhead.

Arnold Press

Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Arnold Press features an arm twist. You can do the Arnold press sitting or standing.

Here's how to run this exercise:

• Bring the dumbbells to shoulder level with your palms facing you
• Raise the dumbbells as you rotate your wrists outward
• Lower the dumbbells, reversing the movement to finish with your palms facing inward

Start Shoulder Pressing Today

Whichever variation you prefer, the dumbbell shoulder press can greatly increase your upper body strength, help you improve and maintain arm mobility. You will see the results in the gym and in everyday life

If you're ready to build strength and promote muscle growth, the shoulder press is a great place to start, and Chuze Fitness is the perfect place to start. Our five-star facilities have everything you need to start or accelerate your fitness journey.

Find your nearest Chuze Fitness and put your new shoulder press knowledge to the test.

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic. Shoulder muscles. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21798-shoulder-muscles

WebMD. How to do the shoulder press. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-shoulder-press

Reviewed by:

Ani is Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group's fitness and group training departments. He has a 25-year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and teacher training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding, and wellness.