Arnold Press

Primary muscle group
Front Delts
Equipment
Dumbbells
Movement type
Compound
Where
Home or gym

How to do Arnold Press

Setup

Sit on a bench with back support, holding dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing your body and elbows bent close to your torso. Keep your feet flat on the floor and core engaged.

How to do it

  1. Press the dumbbells overhead while simultaneously rotating your palms outward until they face forward at the top
  2. Keep your elbows in front of your body during the first half of the press before moving them out to the sides
  3. Lower the weights by reversing the motion, rotating palms back toward you as elbows come down and forward
  4. Maintain a neutral spine and avoid arching your lower back as you press
  5. Control the rotation smoothly throughout the entire range of motion

Watch out for

  • Rushing the rotation and turning it into a standard shoulder press without the full palm rotation
  • Letting the elbows flare out too early instead of keeping them forward at the bottom position
  • Arching the lower back excessively to help press the weight overhead

Learn more on ExRx.net →

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