Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Arnold Press
The Arnold press is a seated dumbbell shoulder press with a rotating grip. It trains your shoulders and triceps as you turn your palms from facing you to facing forward during the lift.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 1 min 30 sec
How to do it
- Sit against the upright bench with your feet flat on the floor and a dumbbell resting on each thigh.
- Bring the dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing you, with your elbows bent in front of your torso.
- Press the dumbbells overhead while gradually turning your palms forward as your elbows move outward.
- Finish with your arms extended above your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, reversing the rotation until your palms face you.
Form cues
- Keep your ribs over your hips.
- Stack your wrists over your forearms.
- Exhale through the press.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the rotationUse a comfortable turning range rather than twisting farther to match a fixed palm position.
- Swinging through the bottomSlow the change of direction so momentum does not launch the next repetition.
- Pulling elbows too far backKeep your elbows slightly forward of your torso as they open outward.
Safety
Losing control of a dumbbell overhead can cause a serious impact injury. Excessive load or fatigue can also strain your shoulders or lower back as you compensate through the rotating press.
- Practice with light dumbbells before increasing the load.
- End the set while you can still lower both weights securely.
- Keep the floor around the bench clear for setting the dumbbells down.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain or a catching sensation in your shoulder.
If you have shoulder pain, instability, or limited overhead motion, choose a comfortable neutral-grip variation or seek advice from a physiotherapist before adding load.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Upright Utility Bench
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 8–12 reps
- Rest
- 1 min 30 sec
Start lighter than your regular dumbbell shoulder press while learning the rotating path.