Dumbbell Standing Single-Arm Shoulder Press
What Is the Dumbbell Standing Single-Arm Shoulder Press?
Dumbbell Standing Single-Arm Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the triceps, the muscles that rotate the shoulder blade upward and the core muscles that keep the torso upright. It is a beginner-level movement in which you stand with one dumbbell held at shoulder height, palm facing forward and the free hand resting on your hip, press the weight straight overhead until your elbow is straight, then lower it back to your shoulder.
The main purpose is overhead pressing strength and shoulder size, trained one side at a time. Working each arm on its own shows whether one side is weaker than the other and stops the stronger arm from doing more than its share. Because the weight sits on one side only, your trunk also has to keep you from bending sideways toward the dumbbell, so the press doubles as a standing core exercise. It usually sits after a heavier two-arm press as an accessory, or serves as the main press when only one dumbbell is available.
The deltoid does most of the work, with the front and middle parts lifting the arm and the triceps straightening the elbow as the dumbbell passes your head. The upper trapezius and the serratus anterior rotate the shoulder blade upward so the arm can reach overhead, and the rotator cuff keeps the top of the upper arm centered in the socket. The obliques and lower back muscles on the side opposite the dumbbell work to hold the torso level. With the palm facing forward and the elbow out to the side, as shown here, this is the classic shoulder press path. Turning the palm to face your head brings the elbow in front of the body, which many lifters find easier on the shoulder.
The two-arm Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press lets you press more total weight with an even load, and the Alternating Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press keeps a dumbbell in each hand while one arm presses at a time. The Kettlebell Single-Arm Military Press uses the same one-sided pattern with the bell resting against the forearm, while the Landmine Single-Arm Press pushes up and forward at an angle and needs less overhead mobility.
This press suits beginners learning to press overhead with a light weight, and lifters who want to even out the two sides or add trunk work to their shoulder training. If you cannot get your arm straight overhead without arching your lower back or leaning away, build up with the seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, where the bench supports your back, or with the Landmine Kneeling Single-Arm Shoulder Press.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- External Oblique
- Medium
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your knees soft, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
- Raise the dumbbell to shoulder height with your palm facing forward, your forearm vertical and your elbow out to the side, directly under your wrist and slightly in front of your body.
- Place your free hand on your hip.
- Brace your core, squeeze your glutes and keep your ribs down and your shoulders level.
- Breathe in, then press the dumbbell straight up past the side of your head, breathing out as it passes the top of your head.
- Finish with your elbow straight and the dumbbell directly over your shoulder, upper arm close to your ear.
- Keep your torso upright and still the whole time, without leaning sideways, arching back or bending your knees to help.
- Lower the dumbbell under control back to shoulder height.
- Complete your reps, then switch the dumbbell to the other hand and repeat.
Common Mistakes
Leaning away from the weight
Bending the torso sideways away from the dumbbell lets the trunk do part of the press and is a sign the weight is too heavy.
Arching the lower back
Leaning back and pushing the ribs forward to finish the rep turns the press into a steep incline press and loads the lower back.
Elbow drifting behind the body
Letting the elbow swing back behind the line of the torso at the bottom crowds the front of the shoulder, so keep it under the wrist and slightly forward.
Driving with the legs
Dipping at the knees and pushing the weight up with the legs turns the lift into a push press and takes work away from the shoulder.
Cutting the range short
Stopping before the elbow is straight at the top or before the dumbbell reaches shoulder height at the bottom skips the hardest parts of the press.
Wrist bent backward
Letting the dumbbell tip the wrist back moves the weight off the line of the forearm and strains the wrist.
Injuries
Dumbbell Standing Single-Arm Shoulder Press is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The shoulder is the main area under strain, because the arm finishes at the end of its overhead range while holding the load. Pressing with stiff shoulders or with the elbow drifting behind the body can irritate the front and top of the shoulder, and a shoulder that is already sore tends to complain overhead. The lower back is the second strain point: when the weight is too heavy, lifters lean back or bend sideways away from the dumbbell to finish the rep, which moves the load onto the spine. The wrist can also ache if the dumbbell is allowed to tip it backward.
To stay safe, warm up the shoulders before your working sets and choose a weight you can press with the torso upright and level. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes before each rep, keep the elbow under the wrist and slightly in front of the body, and lower the dumbbell under control instead of letting it drop to the shoulder. End the set when you start leaning or arching to get the weight up.
To regress, sit down for the Dumbbell Shoulder Press so the bench supports your back, turn the palm to face your head, or use the Landmine Single-Arm Press, which stops short of straight overhead. To progress, add load gradually, try the Kettlebell Single-Arm Bottoms-Up Press for a harder grip and shoulder stability challenge, or hold the top position and walk with the Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry. Stop if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder, pain or tingling running down the arm, or pain in your lower back.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Does pressing with one arm work the core more than pressing with two?
Yes. With the weight on one side only, the muscles along the other side of your trunk have to work to keep you from bending toward the dumbbell. In a study of 11 adults pressing seated on a bench or an exercise ball, the one-arm shoulder press activated the lower back muscles more than the two-arm press did.
- Q: Is the standing press better than the seated press?
Neither is better for everyone, but standing asks more of the shoulders and trunk while seated lets you lift more. In a study of 15 healthy men pressing two dumbbells at 80% of their max, the seated press produced about 15% less middle deltoid activity and about 24% less rear deltoid activity than the standing press, while their standing max was about 10% lower than their seated max.
- Q: Should my palm face forward or toward my head?
Facing forward, as shown here, is the standard version and keeps the elbow out to the side. If that position bothers your shoulder, turn the palm to face your head so the elbow comes in front of the body, which many lifters find more comfortable.
- Q: How heavy should the dumbbell be compared to the two-arm press?
Start with a dumbbell no heavier than the one you use in each hand for the Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press. Add weight only while you can press every rep with your torso upright and your shoulders level.
- Q: Should I finish all reps on one side before switching?
Yes, that is the usual way to do it. Start with your weaker arm, then do the same number of reps with the stronger arm so the stronger side does not pull ahead.