Dumbbell Shoulder Press

How to Perform the Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Sit on an upright bench with back support and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
Clean the dumbbells up to shoulder height with your palms facing forward and elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees.
Brace your core and press both dumbbells overhead in a slight arc, bringing them together at the top.
Lock out your elbows at the top with the dumbbells nearly touching above your head.
Lower the dumbbells under control back to the starting position at shoulder height.
Keep your back flat against the bench pad throughout the movement to avoid excessive arching.
Repeat for the prescribed number of reps, maintaining a controlled tempo on every rep.

Arching the lower back excessively

Keep your core braced and back flat against the bench. If you cannot, reduce the weight.

Flaring the elbows directly to the sides

Position your elbows slightly in front of the torso at roughly 30 degrees to protect the shoulder joint.

Using momentum to swing the weight up

Press with strict form using a controlled tempo. If you need to jerk the weight, it is too heavy.

Pressing the dumbbells too far forward

Press directly overhead so the dumbbells finish above your shoulders, not in front of your face.

●Start with a weight you can press for 8 clean reps before increasing load.
●Exhale forcefully as you press the dumbbells overhead to maintain core stability.
●Use a neutral grip variation (palms facing each other) if you experience shoulder discomfort.

Strength

4-5 sets of 4-6 reps

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps

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