The overhead dumbbell press is one of the best upper body exercises for gaining muscle and overall strength in the shoulders.
The dumbbell shoulder press is a compound exercise which is considered one of the four major lifts that define your strength.
It is an amazing movement to build shoulders, traps, triceps, upper chest, and core. To have a strong upper body, you must master the overhead press.
If you are searching for the best dumbbell shoulder press exercises, then you have come to the right place.
Below, we discuss the following:
- Anatomy and functions of your deltoid
- Muscle groups worked during dumbbell overhead shoulder press
- The benefits of overhead dumbbell presses
- The best variations of overhead shoulder presses
- How to do them properly for shoulder development.
Deltoid Anatomy
In fitness, “shoulder exercises” refers to resistance exercises that target the deltoid muscle.
The deltoid is the superficial muscle that forms the rounded contour of your shoulder. While the deltoid is technically a single muscle, anatomically speaking it has three distinct sets of muscles fibers and muscle bellies, which are referred to as “heads.
The deltoid muscle of the shoulder consists of three separate sections or heads.
- Anterior deltoid (In front),
- lateral deltoid (at the side), and
- Posterior deltoid (behind),
The Anterior Deltoid is commonly called the front delt. It arises from your collar bone and inserts into your humerus (upper arm bone). Your front delt’s main function is to move your arm up, forward, and to your center.
Lateral Deltoid has a few common names, such as side delts, middle delts, or even outer delts. It arises from a little area on your shoulder blade called the acromion process and inserts into your humerus.
Posterior Deltoid also knows as the rear delt. It arises from the spine of your scapula (upper part of your shoulder blade) and inserts into your humerus. Your posterior delts main function is moving the arm outward and backward.
Muscle Worked During Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Presses involve all three heads of the deltoid and the triceps because you are straightening your arms as well as lifting them upward.
You can vary the stress on your shoulders to a slight degree to direct it toward the different deltoid heads by doing different kinds of Presses—to the front, lateral, and the rear by using dumbbells positions.
Primary Muscle Worked: Anterior deltoid.
Secondary Muscle Worked: Lateral deltoid, triceps, trapezius, upper chest.
Benefits of Overhead Dumbbell Press
There are several advantages to including the overhead press in your workout routine.
- It helps to maintain proper posture by strengthening your scapular and trap muscles.
- Shoulder presses are a great way to improve shoulder strength and give a lot of mobility.
- It also works on the muscles of the traps and triceps and make them bigger and stronger.
- One of the main benefits of the dumbbell shoulder press is that it helps prevent injury. This exercise helps you prevent injuries by improving your shoulder strength and positioning.
- Build symmetry with the shoulder, preventing a “forward sloping” look
- The dumbbell overhead press not only strengthens the shoulder, but also engages the core for stability throughout the movement.
Standing Overhead Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The dumbbell overhead press can be done in either a sitting or standing position and with dumbbells held horizontally at the shoulders or rotated in a hammer grip.
The standing dumbbell shoulder press is a classic deltoid-building exercise that is common in gyms around the world.
Performing the move standing up rather than seated allows you to use more weight and puts more stress on the core than seated presses.
The standing press is worthy of being the main movement in a muscle-building shoulder workout, but is also a great strength movement and accessory for the bench press.
How To Do Standing Overhead Press With Dumbbell
- Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, and hold two dumbbells at shoulder height with an overhand grip.
- Without leaning back, extend through your elbows to press the weights above your head.
- Then, press the weights up above your head until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause, and slowly return the weight to the starting position.
Tips
- Always use the longest range of motion possible and control the dumbbells throughout the set.
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Go as heavy as possible with proper foam.
Other variations of the dumbbell overhead press
Repeating the same exercise too often can cause boredom, overuse, and a decrease in performance and gains.
So, If you want to train the same muscles as in the overhead press, but want to change things up, you might be wondering if there are other exercises you can do.
You can do this exercise in several different ways depending on your fitness level and goals.
Here are some considerations to take into action:
1. Seated Overhead Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell shoulder press is a good variation to barbell shoulder press. The fact is that the dumbbells allow a full range of motion.
The dumbbell press is a very effective exercise for building muscle mass in the front and side deltoid muscles.
Performing the exercise while seated upright is a stricter version than standing and prevents cheating the weight upward using momentum generated by the legs.
How To Do It
- Sit at the end of a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing forward.
- Lift the dumbbells overhead until they nearly touch at the top, and then lower them as low as possible.
- Feel a good stretch at the bottom and then continue the next rep.
Tips
- Exhale during effort, inhale during rest.
- Move in a smooth, controlled way.
2. Arnold Shoulder Press
Arnold Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a great exercise to build your shoulder muscles. It stands out from the crowd when it comes to the best exercise with the best range of motion for shoulder muscles.
It gives a wide range of motion as you lower the dumbbells well down in front, giving that maximum stretch other shoulder exercises lack.
The exercise is performed while seated upright, which prevents cheating the weight upward by using the legs’ strength.
How To Do It
- Stand straight, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder position with palms facing you.
- Now press the dumbbells overhead just like dumbbell presses, but twisting them so that palms face forwards at the top of the movement.
- Now lower the dumbbells in a reverse movement.
- Repeat the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Inhale when you lower the weight and exhale when you lift.
- Keep a strict form.
- Do not lock your arms overhead.
3. Seated Neutral-Grip Overhead Dumbbell Press
The seated neutral-grip dumbbell overhead press is a very effective exercise that targets the anterior delt
But, using a neutral grip is also more challenging and makes for a great variation since it still works the same muscle.
How To Do It
- Sit on a bench with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Hold a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height.
- Begin with your palms facing toward each other and your elbows just below shoulder level.
- Push the weights straight up, stopping just short of locking out your elbows.
- Then control the dumbbells all the way down until your upper arms are parallel with the floor or slightly lower.
Tips
- Keep your back and neck neutral.
- Always warm up before training heavily to prevent shoulder discomfort.
4. Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press
Dumbbell one-arm shoulder press is an exercise that isolates the heads of the shoulders.
The single-arm overhead press is a unilateral exercise that increases shoulder strength, stability, and symmetry.
Performing the exercise with one arm at a time will actively engage the core throughout the range of motion.
How To Do It
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in your one hand.
- Extend through your elbow to lift the dumbbell directly above you.
- Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
- After completing all reps on the right side, repeat on the left side. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Don’t allow your torso to sway to one side or the other as you press the weight overhead.
- Keep the tension on your shoulder as you press the weight up.
5. Alternating Dumbbell Press
The alternating overhead dumbbell press is a great shoulder press variation that allows you to focus on one side of the body at a time.
By doing this exercise unilaterally, you have to actively engage your core so that your torso doesn’t lean towards one side or the other.
This exercise can help to balance out any possible weaknesses that might be present on either side.
How To Do It
- Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, and hold two dumbbells at shoulder height with an overhand grip.
- Without leaning back, Press one dumbbell up over your head without moving the other dumbbell.
- Press the weight up above your head until your arm is fully extended.
- Pause, and slowly return the weight to the starting position.
- Do the same with the other arm.
Tips
- Do not allow your torso to sway to either side as you press the weight overhead.
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Squeeze your abs and glutes to help keep your body stable as you press the weights.
6. Reverse Grip Dumbbell Press
The reverse grip press starts in the same position as the Arnold press with your palms facing towards you, but instead of opening the arms and rotating the wrists, you will press straight up.
This exercise is good for targeting the front delts, triceps, and the serratus anterior.
How To Do It
- Sit on a bench with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Hold a pair of dumbbells with both hands using an underhand grip.
- Bring the weights up to shoulder level with palms facing in and your elbows just below shoulder level.
- Push the weights straight up, stopping just short of locking out your elbows.
- Slowly return to starting position. Repeat the exercise for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Tips
- Keep your back and neck neutral.
- Choose a lightweight first and focus on form before going heavy.
- Do not lock out your elbows.
FAQs
What does dumbbell overhead press work?
The overhead dumbbell press mainly works your shoulders, but it also works your triceps, glutes, trapezius, and core muscles.
Is overhead press better with dumbbells?
Yes, there are many benefits of doing an overhead press with dumbbells.
- It requires more balance than barbells or machines, which can help you recruit more muscle fibers.
- If you are new to weight training, it is best to use lighter weight dumbbells. This will allow you to learn proper form and build up your strength gradually.
- Dumbbell training allows for unilateral training, which increases core stability, and improves muscular imbalances.
- The shoulder press with dumbbells provides greater joint safety and stabilization.
- The dumbbell shoulder press is a safe and effective exercise that can be performed without a spotter. This makes it possible to do anywhere, anytime.
- It allows for a greater range of motion (ROM), leading to a greater number of muscle fibers being recruited.
How many reps of overhead press should I do?
How many times you should do an overhead shoulder press depends on what you want to achieve.
- To increase strength, aim for 2 to 5 repetitions during your working sets.
- If your goal is to build muscle mass, try rep ranges of 6 to 12 reps.
- And, if you wish to increase endurance, try doing 12 to 20+ reps.
What’s the difference between a shoulder press and an overhead press?
Many people use the terms “shoulder press” and “overhead press” to mean the same thing.
Often, the barbell overhead press is often called an overhead press, and the dumbbell shoulder press may be called a shoulder press.
The overhead press includes all variations and is a blanket term that includes the standard shoulder press, military press, Arnold press, and push press.
Are dumbbell shoulder press effective?
Yes, dumbbell shoulder press is a highly effective compound exercise that works the shoulders, chest, triceps and core.
The primary benefit of this exercise is that it increases overall upper body strength by requiring the use of heavy weights for multiple repetitions. Dumbbell presses also help you strengthen and improve the shape of your arms and shoulders.
Takeaway
The following overhead dumbbell press exercises are recommended when designing your next delt workout.
An Overhead Dumbbell Press is an excellent exercise if you’re looking to increase muscle mass and strength in your arms, shoulders, core, and chest.
As with any weightlifting exercise, proper technique and form are crucial for the best results and to prevent injury.
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15 Best Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises to Build massive and 3D Shoulder.
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