Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Start

Finish

How to do it

Stand tall with one dumbbell at shoulder height and the free hand on your hip, brace hard against the sideways pull, and press straight overhead without letting the torso bend away.

Muscles worked

Primary: shoulders · Also works: triceps, core, obliques

Equipment

Dumbbells

Common mistakes

• Side-bending away from the weight to shorten the distance the dumbbell travels
• Rotating the chest toward the pressing arm instead of keeping the shoulders square
• Going heavy enough that the core fails before the delt does

Variations

• Half-kneeling single-arm press
• Single-arm press with the free hand overhead

Can't do this one? Swap it for

• Kettlebell Shoulder Press
• Half-Kneeling Band Shoulder Press
• Landmine Shoulder Press

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a shoulder problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

• Standing Overhead Pressshoulders
• Pike Push-Upshoulders
• Dumbbell Lateral Raiseshoulders
• Shoulder Controlled Rotationsshoulders
• Face Pullshoulders
• Cable Lateral Raiseshoulders