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Exercise library · Shoulders

Standing shoulder press

Vertical press for the shoulders with dumbbells.

How to do it

1 of 3

Dumbbells at your shoulders

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell at each shoulder with palms forward and elbows under your hands.

  2. The movement

    Press the dumbbells straight overhead until your arms are straight, then lower them to your shoulders with control.

Most common mistake

Don't arch your lower back as you press, brace your stomach and keep your ribs down while your arms move.

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Muscle group
Shoulders
Equipment
Dumbbells
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The standing dumbbell shoulder press trains your front and side delts, with your triceps straightening your arms in the top half. The trapezius and serratus anterior rotate your shoulder blades upwards. With no backrest, your abs, glutes and legs support you, so your core works too. Dumbbells let each arm follow its own path and your wrists turn to wherever feels best, which many people with stiff shoulders prefer to a barbell. Any difference between your sides also shows straight away.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbells drift in front of your face. The weight then sits ahead of your body on a longer lever. Finish with the dumbbells directly above your shoulders and your arms roughly by your ears.
  • Using your legs. A small knee bend at the start turns it into a push press and takes work from your shoulders. Keep your knees straight but not locked.
  • Wasting energy getting the dumbbells up. Lifting heavy dumbbells to your shoulders with your arms alone tires you before the set starts. Bring them up with a short knee bend and a curl, and press once they rest steadily at your shoulders.

Variations and alternatives

  • The seated shoulder press has a backrest, for when you want your core to rest.
  • The overhead press uses a barbell and suits heavy lifting with small jumps in weight.
  • The Arnold press starts with your palms facing you and turns the dumbbells as you press.

Sets and reps

To build muscle, 6 to 12 reps over three or four sets works well. Sets of 4 to 6 are possible, but heavy dumbbells are awkward to handle, and for pure overhead strength a barbell allows smaller jumps. As a second press in a session, 10 to 15 reps fits well. The choice is explained further in the guide to sets and reps.

Moving up a pair of dumbbells is often a big step for your shoulders, so apply progressive overload with reps first and stay with the same pair until you hit the top of your rep range in all sets. An extra set at the same weight is a good stepping stone. Expect fewer reps at first with the heavier pair; that is normal.

Also called

  • standing dumbbell press
  • hantelpress stående
  • stående hantelpress

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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