Here\u2019s a comprehensive guide to this comprehensive movement. Learn the technique and then add this old-school exercise to your program.<\/p>\n
- \n
- How to Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Overhead Dumbbell Press Mistakes to Avoid<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Benefits of the Overhead Dumbbell Press<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Muscles Worked by the Overhead Dumbbell Press<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Who Should Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Program the Overhead Dumbbell Press<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Overhead Dumbbell Press Variations<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Overhead Dumbbell Press Alternatives<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/a><\/strong>How to Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press <\/h2>\n
The overhead dumbbell press is an intricate series of moving parts \u2014 literally \u2014 because you\u2019re taking two relatively unwieldy implements and getting them safely overhead under control.<\/p>\n
The exercise does require a degree of coordination, but any lifter can master this movement with a little bit of practice and a few technique cues.<\/p>\n
Step 1 \u2014 Get the Weights Into Position<\/h3>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shutterstock_1924434608.jpg\")
Credit: MDV Edwards \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Begin with the dumbbells at your sides and your arms straight. You can either take the weights directly from the dumbbell rack, pick them up from a bench, or deadlift them from the floor.<\/p>\n
Keep your back straight and abs tight. Bend your knees slightly before standing up powerfully while performing a thumbs-up curl (hammer curl<\/a>) to bring the weights to shoulder level. Your feet shouldn\u2019t necessarily leave the ground, but briefly rising onto your toes is common.<\/p>\n
Stabilize your entire body when both weights are touching the front of your shoulders. Rotate each arm until your elbows are pointed to the sides and your hands are facing forward. Fortunately, you only need to go through this process once for each set you perform.<\/p>\n
Form Tip:<\/strong> When using heavier weights, it may be less taxing and more efficient to begin with both dumbbells by your sides and raise one at a time into position, rather than trying to bring both to shoulder-level simultaneously.<\/p>\n
Use the same \u201ccheat curl\u201d motion to bring each dumbbell up to shoulder level. However, the single-sided load will require more core stability to avoid rotating or swinging the body sideways.<\/p>\n
Step 2 \u2014 Press Directly Overhead<\/h3>\n
![\"Muscular](\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shutterstock_2118552890.jpg\")
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n With your hands facing forward and your wrists in-line with the tops of your shoulders, press both dumbbells upwards while keeping your hands directly above your elbows. As the weights pass over your head, move them slightly towards each other. The weights should end up nearly touching at the top.<\/p>\n
Your legs should remain slightly bent throughout the entire set. Keep a neutral spine and upright torso with your core fully engaged. Contracting the glutes prior to pressing also helps to “connect” your stable lower body to your upper body, ensuring a safe and powerful position. Don\u2019t allow your upper body to shift backwards as you press upwards.<\/p>\n
Form Tip:<\/strong> When some lifters fatigue throughout a set, they begin to start each rep with a quarter-squat motion to propel the weights up. This increases total-body muscle recruitment and allows heavier weights to be used and\/or more reps to be performed, but it also reduces the amount of force produced by the shoulders specifically.<\/p>\n
Step 3 \u2014 Lower Under Control<\/h3>\n
![\"Muscular](\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shutterstock_94987162.jpg\")
Credit: mashurov \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n After briefly pausing the weights in a locked out overhead position, reverse the motion to bring the dumbbells down. Be sure your torso remains upright, not leaning back. Your wrists should end up in-line with the tops of your shoulders. This is the bottom position of a press. The weights do not return all the way down to hang at your sides until you\u2019ve completed all reps and the set is over.<\/p>\n
Throughout the descent, keep your elbows under your wrists. Allowing the wrists to drift in front of or behind the elbows will drastically increase stress on the support structures of the shoulder joint. Shifting the wrists to either side of the elbow will reduce muscular stress on the shoulder, making the exercise less effective.<\/p>\n
Form Tip:<\/strong> If the bottom\/stretched position is too extreme or painful, the most common solution (in addition to specific shoulder mobility work) is to use your ears, not the tops of your shoulders, as a reference point.<\/p>\n
Performing each repetition from ear-level to full lockout avoids putting the shoulder joint in its furthest range of motion and should alleviate excessive joint stress.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/strong>Overhead Dumbbell Press Mistakes to Avoid<\/h2>\n
The overhead dumbbell press technique is essentially, \u201cpick up weights, then press weights overhead.\u201d However, there are a handful of common mistakes which can increase the risk of injury and decrease muscle recruitment. Here\u2019s what to avoid.<\/p>\n
Leaning the Torso Back<\/h3>\n
Maintain an upright upper body during the press. This not only reduces stress on the lower back, but allows more upper body muscles to provide support and stability. The recruitment of the core and upper back allow higher power output and a stronger lift. Keeping a vertical torso allows your upper back muscles to more efficiently control your scapulae, which are essential to pressing weights and avoiding injury.<\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shutterstock_237891538.jpg\")
Credit: Syda Productions\/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Leaning your torso backwards reduces your ability to maintain a strong core because strain is transferred more directly to the lower back. If you wanted to break a toothpick, you\u2019d bend it until it snapped because it can withstand more stress when kept straight. Imagine your abs and lower back as one big toothpick. Don\u2019t snap it.<\/p>\n
Leaning back also changes the pressing angle, changing the lift from an overhead press into a high-angle incline bench<\/a> press minus the bench. This transforms a very good shoulder exercise into a very bad chest exercise<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Avoid it:<\/strong> Before beginning any overhead press, check your ab and lower back stability and engagement by flexing your glutes and abs at the same time. If you feel an awkward and uncomfortable pull in the lower back area, it means you\u2019re likely out of alignment. Adjust your posture and flex again before beginning your set.<\/p>\n
Pressing With the Legs<\/h3>\n
As explained earlier in step two of the technique guide, your legs should remain slightly bent during a set of overhead presses. This allows your shoulders to be the primary movers of the weights and ensures your shoulders receive the greatest stimulus.<\/p>\n
When any lifter nears the end of a challenging set, it\u2019s important to remain strict and perform every rep from the same position. This rule applies to all exercises, with very few exceptions.<\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/shutterstock_1899801430.jpg\")
Credit: MDV Edwards \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Adding leg drive towards the end of the set changes the exercise from a strict overhead dumbbell press to an overhead dumbbell push press. Different exercises are used for different purposes and target different muscles. In this case, the added work performed by the legs is counterbalanced by less work performed by the shoulders.<\/p>\n
Avoid it:<\/strong> Use body awareness, especially towards the end of each set. As you notice your shoulders fatiguing, end the set knowing that your shoulders have been sufficiently trained with the intended load (weight) and volume (reps).<\/p>\n
Using leg drive to complete a few additional reps is a high-intensity technique that should only be performed by experienced lifters, and should only be performed deliberately. Many lifters develop the bad habit of using leg drive without even being aware of it. This leads to a less efficient shoulder workout.<\/p>\n
Short Range of Motion<\/h3>\n
The overhead dumbbell press should move the weights from shoulder-height to full overhead lockout. Reducing the range of motion either by not bringing the weights low or by avoiding complete lockout reduces the shoulders\u2019 time under tension and reinforces poor joint mobility. This combination decreases the stimulus to build muscle and strength.<\/p>\n
If you have pre-existing mobility issues, this is an entirely different case. You should never force your body into unnatural and dangerous positions. However, the shoulder joint, when healthy and working optimally, should be capable of achieving a complete range of motion.<\/p>\n
<\/div>Wall Slides | Shoulder Health<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Wall](\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FYIvNRUJp7_E%2F0.jpg\")
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- Overhead Dumbbell Press Mistakes to Avoid<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n