7 dumbbell shoulder press benefits
Are you ready to unlock the incredible benefits of dumbbell shoulder presses? Dumbbell presses can help you build a stronger and more toned upper body. Dumbbell shoulder presses are simple yet powerful movements that focus on strengthening your shoulder muscles.
Done correctly, in addition to increasing shoulder strength, you can improve your posture and sculpt your arms. It’s like a superhero workout for women.
In this article, we’ll explore why dumbbell shoulder presses are a great exercise for your workout routine on shoulder day or as a part of your upper body workout.
Muscles worked during dumbbell shoulder presses
Dumbbell overhead shoulder presses work all three heads of the deltoid (shoulder):
- Anterior deltoid, commonly called the front delt. The main purpose is to main function is to move your arm up, forward, and to your center.
- Lateral deltoid. The side delts help move your arm out to the side and up and down. When developed will give you a more “capped” shoulders appearance.
- Posterior deltoid, commonly called the rear delt. The main function is moving the arm outward and backward.
The triceps or triceps brachii is the large muscle on the back of the upper arm. It’s split into the medial head, lateral head, and long head. Like the deltoid, each head of the tricep muscle plays a role in elbow extension. which are the muscles on the back of your upper arms, work to straighten your arms as you press the dumbbells overhead.
7 dumbbell should press benefits
The dumbbell shoulder press will work the anterior, posterior, and total shoulder region which can be emphasized depending on the grip used and variation of the shoulder press.
Upper body workout
The overhead dumbbell press is a compound exercise that works the major muscle groups in the upper body, including the arms, shoulders, upper chest and core.
This comprehensive exercise promotes overall upper body strength and development, benefiting athletes and bodybuilders.
Check out seven health benefits offered by the dumbbell shoulder press:
Build strong shoulders
The dumbbell shoulder press is good for developing your shoulder muscles and increasing their muscle mass. The dumbbell press hits the lateral deltoids more than when doing barbell shoulder press movements.
Improves shoulder mobility and stability
Overhead presses develop great shoulder mobility and stability, which can be beneficial for athletes and weightlifters. Regular practice of this exercise can help improve shoulder strength and flexibility, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance performance in other exercises.
Improves core strength
Targets your core muscles which play a vital role in stabilizing your spine when you lift weights overhead. The abdominal muscles support your back while lifting weights overhead and protect against injury to your lower back while performing this exercise.
Improves muscular imbalances
Allows you to work on any muscular imbalances. Since each arm works independently when using dumbbells, you can ensure both sides of your body are working equally. This can help you address any differences between the sides.
Enahnced athletic performance
Strong shoulder muscles can help with generating power and force in athletes. Whether you’re throwing a ball, swinging a racket, or swimming, the strength in your shoulders directly translates into more explosive movements. Strong shoulders will allow you to generate greater speed, accuracy, and distance in your actions.
Improved posture
The press works the muscles that stabilize your shoulder joints, which helps improve your posture. When you lift weights over your head, you strengthen the muscles around your spine that pull it upright and support it from beneath.
Rubber Coated Hex Dumbbell Weight Set
Hexagon shape rubber encased heads help prevent rolling and provide easier storage. Comes in different weight sets.
Dumbbell shoulder press exercise
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.
- From a seated or standing position, hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand by your side.
- Press the dumbbells straight overhead, keeping elbows narrow. At the top of the dumbbell press, rotate the dumbbells so your palms face out (away from you).
- As you lower the dumbbells, elbows should go wide, arms bent at 90 degrees (like goal posts). Keep your elbows in line with your shoulders, rather than letting them drop down.
- Repeat.
Dumbbell should press variations:
Neutral grip dumbbell shoulder press
- 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.
Arnold press
- Set the back support of a gym bench in an upright position.
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit down. Position your back against the support and rest the weights on top of your thighs.
- Hold both dumbbells with an underhand grip (palms facing you), elbows at shoulder height in front of your body and dumbbells at about eye level.
- Press both dumbbells up as you simultaneously rotate your wrists out.
- As you’re halfway up, spread your elbows to your sides and make sure your wrists are now facing forward.
- Press up until your elbows are locked out
- Reverse the motion, rotating your wrists inward (ending with palms facing you) as you lower down to the starting position. Aim to keep your elbows at shoulder height rather than letting them drop down.
- Repeat
Barbell shoulder press
- Stand in front of a squat rack with the bar set at shoulder height. You should be able to take the bar off of the rack without standing on your tip-toes or bending down too low.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing forward).
- Tighten your core, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and press the barbell overhead as you exhale.
- Slowly lower and return the barbell to the shoulders.
- Repeat.
Common mistakes to avoid
Not engaging your core
Engaging your core muscles as much as possible throughout the exercise is important when doing any overhead movement. Even if it seems like an easy enough move without any added weight.
Make sure you’re engaging and squeezing those abs and glutes throughout each rep so that nothing goes wrong with your form.
Using momentum
Locking out your elbows. Your elbows should never lock out when performing an overhead press. This will cause your shoulders and lower back to take on more load than they should. Thus, it can lead to injury and poor form.
Pressing too much weight
You can avoid this obvious mistake by starting with lighter weights and increasing over time. If you can’t maintain proper form at a certain weight level, then it’s too heavy for you, and you should decrease it until it feels comfortable again.
