Demonstration
Watch the Form Demo
Technique
How to Do the Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Sit on an upright bench or stand tall with a dumbbell at each shoulder, palms forward.
- Brace your core with your ribs down.
- Press both dumbbells up and slightly inward until your arms are straight overhead.
- Stop just short of clashing them together at the top.
- Lower under control until the dumbbells return to shoulder height.
- Re-brace before each rep.
Anatomy
Muscles Worked
Do This
Form Cues
- Press from shoulder height with the elbows slightly in front of the body.
- Keep the ribs down so the lower back does not arch at lockout.
- Lower until the elbows are level with the shoulders.
- Finish with your biceps beside your ears. If your head has to duck forward, the press drifted in front of you.
Avoid This
Common Mistakes
- Arching the lower back to press heavier weight.
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides at the bottom.
- Cutting the range short at the bottom.
- Arching off the bench or ribs-up when standing, which turns overhead work into an incline press for the lower back to absorb.
More to Explore
Variations & Related Exercises
Variations of this lift
Barbell Overhead Press
Dumbbell Arnold Press
Single Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Trains the same muscles
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
Assisted Machine Dip
Band Pull Apart
Barbell Bench Press
Barbell Upright Row
Bear Crawl
Put It Into Practice
Workouts Featuring This Lift
12-Week Strength Training Program
A twelve-week program to build maximal strength on the squat, bench, and deadlift. Three progressive four-week blocks take you from…
Read guide →
12-Week Workout Plan to Build Muscle
A complete twelve-week plan to build serious muscle, split into three progressive four-week blocks. Move from volume accumulation through hypertrophy…
Read guide →
2-Day Dumbbell Workout Plan
A two-day full body plan using only dumbbells. Two efficient sessions a week build strength and muscle with minimal equipment,…
Read guide →
2-Day Full Body Workout Plan
A time-efficient two-day full body plan for busy people. Two full-body sessions a week cover everything you need to build…
Read guide →
3-Day Beginner Glute Workout Plan
An 8-week beginner strength program with a lower body and glute emphasis. Build strength, develop muscle, and establish training habits…
Read guide →
3-Day Dumbbell Home Workout Plan
Dumbbells, a bench, and three days per week. Full body sessions covering every major muscle group with a clear progression…
Read guide →
3-Day Full Body Fat Loss Plan
Three full-body sessions per week built to hold onto muscle while you lose fat in a calorie deficit. Compound lifts…
Read guide →
3-Day Full Body Workout for Beginners
A classic 3-day barbell and dumbbell program built around the fundamental lifts. Three sessions a week, every major muscle group…
Read guide →
3-Day Push Pull Legs for Beginners
Your introduction to one of the most proven training splits in strength training. Three focused sessions per week, each targeting…
Read guide →
3-Day Split Workout
A classic three-day body-part split, chest and triceps, back and biceps, then legs and shoulders, that builds muscle on just…
Read guide →
30-Minute Dumbbell Fat Loss Plan
Three sessions per week, 30 minutes each, dumbbells only. Built for people cutting in a deficit who do not have…
Read guide →
30-Minute Home Workout Plan
Three 30-minute sessions per week using dumbbells and bodyweight. Every workout designed to be completed in half an hour, with…
Read guide →
4-Day Dumbbell Home Split
Train like you have a gym, from your spare room. Upper/lower split, four sessions per week, adjustable dumbbells and a…
Read guide →
4-Day Glute & Lower Body Plan
A four-day lower-body focused split built to grow the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, with enough upper-body work to stay balanced.…
Read guide →
4-Day Gym Fat Loss Program
Four days per week, upper/lower split, full gym. Built for the gap between beginner and intermediate where you are ready…
Read guide →
4-Day Upper Lower Dumbbell Plan
A complete four-day upper/lower split you can run at home with nothing but a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a…
Read guide →
4-Day Upper Lower Split
A four-day upper-lower split that trains your whole body twice a week across two upper and two lower sessions, one…
Read guide →
4-Day Upper Lower Split For Beginners
A 4-day program that trains your upper and lower body on separate days. More volume per session than full body…
Read guide →
4-Week Dumbbell Workout Plan
A fast, four-week fat loss plan using only dumbbells. Four efficient sessions a week blending dumbbell strength circuits with metabolic…
Read guide →
4-Week Fat Loss Workout Plan
A focused four-week plan to kickstart fat loss. Four sessions a week combining full-body strength training with metabolic finishers to…
Read guide →
5-Day Dumbbell Split
A five-day body-part split you can run with nothing but a pair of dumbbells, training chest, back, shoulders, arms, and…
Read guide →
5-Day Fat Loss Training Split
An upper/lower split with a full body finisher. Five sessions per week for lifters who want more gym time during…
Read guide →
5-Day Gym Workout Split
The classic five-day bodybuilding split, one muscle group per day across chest, back, shoulders, legs, and arms, for maximum volume…
Read guide →
5-Day Push Pull Legs
A 5-day Push Pull Legs split built for intermediate lifters who want to train with high frequency and enough volume…
Read guide →
6-Day Push Pull Legs Plan
The classic high-frequency push/pull/legs split run six days a week. Each muscle group trained twice, high volume, built for advanced…
Read guide →
6-Week Beginner Workout Plan
The perfect six-week introduction to the gym. Three full-body sessions a week teach you the fundamental lifts with clear form…
Read guide →
6-Week Muscle Building Workout Plan
A six-week muscle building block on a four-day upper/lower split. Two three-week phases take you from higher-rep volume into heavier…
Read guide →
8-Week Dumbbell Workout Plan
A complete dumbbell workout plan to build muscle and strength. A four-day upper/lower split using only dumbbells, proving you do…
Read guide →
8-Week Dumbbell-Only Fat Loss Plan
Lose fat at home, in a hotel gym, or anywhere you have dumbbells and a bench. Three full body sessions…
Read guide →
8-Week Muscle Building Plan
Four days per week, upper/lower split, designed to build muscle in a calorie surplus. Compound lifts drive the session, isolation…
Read guide →
8-Week Squat Specialization Program
One goal: a bigger squat. Three squat sessions per week using high-bar, pause, and front squat variations alongside maintenance work…
Read guide →
Advanced 5-Day Muscle Building Program
Five days, five different sessions, maximum muscle. Push, pull, legs, upper, and lower body across a week designed for advanced…
Read guide →
Arnold Split Workout Plan
The classic three-day bodybuilding split made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger, pairing chest with back, shoulders with arms, and a dedicated…
Read guide →
Beginner Gym Workout Plan
Your first structured gym plan: two simple full-body workouts, alternated across three days a week, that teach the core lifts…
Read guide →
Dumbbell Shoulder Workout
A dumbbell shoulder session that builds all three heads of the delts, using presses and raises for rounder, stronger, broader…
Read guide →
Dumbbell-Only Workout Program for Beginners
A complete 8-week strength program using nothing but dumbbells. Train at home, in a hotel gym, or at any basic…
Read guide →
Fat Loss Workout Plan for Beginners
Your first structured fat loss plan. Three gym sessions per week using dumbbells and machines, active rest days to keep…
Read guide →
Full Body Dumbbell Workout Plan
A full body dumbbell workout hitting every muscle three times a week. Simple, effective, and perfect for building muscle and…
Read guide →
HIIT & Strength Fat Loss Plan
Strength training and conditioning in the same session. Each workout starts with heavy compound lifts to preserve muscle, then finishes…
Read guide →
Intermediate 3-Day Full Body Strength Program
A 3-day barbell strength program built around the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. Heavy loading on the primary…
Read guide →
Intermediate 6-Day Powerbuilding
Six days per week, pushing both strength and muscle simultaneously. Strength-focused A sessions and hypertrophy-focused B sessions, rotating across push,…
Read guide →
Intermediate Upper Lower Split
A 4-day upper lower split built for lifters with a solid foundation who are ready to train with real intensity.…
Read guide →
Push Day Workout
The complete push day: chest, shoulders, and triceps in one focused session. Run it three times a week or slot…
Read guide →