Arnold press
- Muscle group
- Shoulders
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Primary muscles
- Front delts, Side delts
- Secondary muscles
- Triceps
- Sit on a bench with back support. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing your body.
- Press the dumbbells overhead while rotating your palms to face forward, finishing with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back down, rotating your palms back to the starting position.
Tips
- Begin the rotation early in the press so that your palms are fully facing forward by the time your arms reach the top, rather than rushing the turn at the last moment.
- Keep your elbows at roughly the same height as your wrists at the start position, with the dumbbells held close to your shoulders before you begin pressing.
- Lower the dumbbells at a controlled pace, matching the rotation on the way down to the rotation you used on the way up.
Common mistakes
- Rushing the rotation so that the palms snap to a forward-facing position all at once near the top, rather than turning gradually throughout the press.
- Letting the elbows flare excessively wide at the start position, which moves the dumbbells away from the shoulders and changes the intended starting point of the movement.
- Shortening the descent by stopping the lowering phase before the palms have rotated back to face the body, leaving the repetition incomplete.
Make Every Set Count.
Plan your workouts, track every session, and see your progress over time.
