How is the dumbbell Z press different from the barbell Z press?

The seated position and cues are the same, but dumbbells need no rack, let each arm find its own path beside the head, and expose a weaker side that a bar would hide. In a study of 15 healthy men doing barbell and dumbbell shoulder presses seated and standing, front-deltoid activity was about 11 to 15% lower with the barbell than with dumbbells, while the standing dumbbell one-rep max was about 7% lower than the barbell one. The Z press itself was not tested.

Should I learn the Z press with dumbbells or a barbell?

Most lifters find dumbbells the easier place to start, because there is no rack to set up, the weights can move freely around the head, and a failed rep can be lowered and set down beside you. Move to the Barbell Z Press once you can press the dumbbells upright with your legs flat on the floor.

How heavy should the dumbbells be?

Use noticeably less than you use on the Dumbbell Shoulder Press with back support, since your legs and a backrest no longer help. Choose a weight you can lift to your shoulders from the floor without heaving, and add weight only while every rep stays upright and both dumbbells rise together.

What if I can't sit upright with my legs straight?

Sit on a weight plate or folded mat to raise your hips, or bend your knees slightly, so you can keep your torso vertical. Keep working on hamstring and hip flexibility with stretches like the Seated Wide-Leg Forward Fold and lower the support as your position improves.

Can I do the Z press with one dumbbell?

Yes. Pressing one dumbbell at a time lets you focus on each side and makes your trunk resist leaning toward the empty side, and it asks a little less overhead mobility than pressing two. Do the same number of reps on each arm, starting with the weaker one.

Dumbbell Z Press

What Is the Dumbbell Z Press?

Dumbbell Z Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the triceps, upper back and the muscles of the trunk. It is an intermediate-level movement: you press a pair of dumbbells overhead while sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front and nothing behind your back, so it asks for good overhead mobility, enough hip and hamstring flexibility to sit tall, and a trunk strong enough to stay vertical under load.

It is the dumbbell version of the Barbell Z Press, a lift named after Lithuanian strongman Zydrunas Savickas, known as "Big Z". The seated, legs-extended position is the same, and it does the same job: with no leg drive and no backrest, the weight only goes up as far as the shoulders and arms can push it while the torso stays stacked over the hips. Dumbbells change a few things. You need no rack, because you lift the weights to your shoulders from the floor beside you. Each arm moves on its own, so a stronger side cannot carry a weaker one, and the dumbbells travel up beside your head instead of in front of your face, so there is no need to move your head out of the way. You can also lower them to your shoulders or set them down beside you if a rep fails, and you will usually press a little less total weight than with a bar.

The deltoids do most of the work, with the triceps taking over toward lockout and the upper traps and serratus anterior rotating the shoulder blades upward as the dumbbells rise. The abdominals, obliques and spinal erectors hold the torso upright, and they also have to stop it from shifting toward one side whenever one dumbbell runs ahead of the other. Compared with the Dumbbell Shoulder Press on a bench with back support, the Z press asks far more of the trunk and is done with noticeably less weight.

The dumbbell Z press suits lifters who want strict overhead pressing without leg drive or a backward lean, those who train without a rack, and anyone who wants to even out a side-to-side difference in pressing strength. It is also the usual way to learn the Z press before moving to the barbell. Build a solid, upright Dumbbell Shoulder Press first, and if you cannot sit tall with straight legs, work on hamstring and hip flexibility with stretches such as the Seated Wide-Leg Forward Fold before loading up.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): High
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): High
Erector Spinae: Medium
External Oblique: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Serratus Anterior: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Medium
Upper Trapezius: Medium
Pectoralis Major: Low

Instructions

Sit on the floor with your legs straight and spread slightly wider than your hips, heels on the floor and toes pointing up, with a dumbbell standing upright beside each hip.
Sit tall with your chest up and ribs down, then lift the dumbbells to your shoulders one at a time, keeping your torso upright.
Hold the dumbbells just above your shoulders with your palms facing forward, your wrists stacked over your elbows and your elbows slightly in front of your body.
Brace your core and press both dumbbells straight up beside your head at the same speed.
Finish with your arms straight and the dumbbells close together over the middle of your head, your biceps near your ears.
Keep your torso vertical and your legs flat on the floor throughout; do not lean back or twist to finish the rep.
Lower the dumbbells under control to your shoulders and repeat.
After the last rep, lower the dumbbells to your shoulders, then set them down beside your hips one at a time.

Common Mistakes

Leaning back
Tilting the torso back to finish the press turns it into an incline press and loads the lower back instead of the shoulders.
Rounding the lower back
Tight hamstrings let the pelvis tuck under so the torso slumps, which weakens the press and strains the lower back.
Legs lifting off the floor
Heels or legs coming up during a rep means the load is too heavy or mobility is lacking, and it can tip you backward.
Pressing the dumbbells forward
Letting the dumbbells travel out in front of the face instead of finishing over the head makes them harder to balance and stresses the front of the shoulder.
One arm racing ahead
Letting the stronger arm finish first shifts the torso toward one side, so press both dumbbells at the same speed and stop when they no longer rise together.
Using seated press loads
Starting with the dumbbells you use on a seated shoulder press with back support usually ends in a lean back or a failed rep, since no backrest or leg drive helps you here.

Injuries

Dumbbell Z Press is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The lower back and shoulders take most of the strain. Tight hamstrings let the pelvis tuck under and the lower back round, while leaning back to finish a rep bends the lumbar spine into extension under load. Limited shoulder mobility shows up as the dumbbells drifting in front of the face, which loads the front of the shoulder and the lower back at once. If your legs lift off the floor mid-rep, you can lose balance and tip backward with the weights overhead.

Dumbbells add two risks of their own. Lifting them from the floor to your shoulders while seated puts the lower back in an awkward, twisted position, so bring them up one at a time with your torso upright, and pick weights you can get into place without heaving. Because each arm works alone, a weaker side can lag and pull the torso into a lean or twist, so stop the set when the two dumbbells no longer rise together. In return, a failed rep is easier to manage than with a bar: lower the dumbbells to your shoulders, then set them down beside your hips, never onto your legs.

Start light, keep your ribs down and your torso vertical, and keep your heels and the backs of your legs on the floor. If you cannot sit upright, raise your hips on a weight plate or folded mat rather than slumping. To regress, press from a bench with back support in the Dumbbell Shoulder Press, or use the Kettlebell Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Shoulder Press, which keeps the trunk challenge with a far easier hip position. Progress by adding small amounts of weight while every rep stays upright, then move to the Barbell Z Press.

Stop if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder, pain in the lower back, or numbness or tingling down the arm, and end the set when you can no longer press without leaning back or twisting.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders
Equipment: Dumbbell
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is the dumbbell Z press different from the barbell Z press?: The seated position and cues are the same, but dumbbells need no rack, let each arm find its own path beside the head, and expose a weaker side that a bar would hide. In a study of 15 healthy men doing barbell and dumbbell shoulder presses seated and standing, front-deltoid activity was about 11 to 15% lower with the barbell than with dumbbells, while the standing dumbbell one-rep max was about 7% lower than the barbell one. The Z press itself was not tested.
Q: Should I learn the Z press with dumbbells or a barbell?: Most lifters find dumbbells the easier place to start, because there is no rack to set up, the weights can move freely around the head, and a failed rep can be lowered and set down beside you. Move to the Barbell Z Press once you can press the dumbbells upright with your legs flat on the floor.
Q: How heavy should the dumbbells be?: Use noticeably less than you use on the Dumbbell Shoulder Press with back support, since your legs and a backrest no longer help. Choose a weight you can lift to your shoulders from the floor without heaving, and add weight only while every rep stays upright and both dumbbells rise together.
Q: What if I can't sit upright with my legs straight?: Sit on a weight plate or folded mat to raise your hips, or bend your knees slightly, so you can keep your torso vertical. Keep working on hamstring and hip flexibility with stretches like the Seated Wide-Leg Forward Fold and lower the support as your position improves.
Q: Can I do the Z press with one dumbbell?: Yes. Pressing one dumbbell at a time lets you focus on each side and makes your trunk resist leaning toward the empty side, and it asks a little less overhead mobility than pressing two. Do the same number of reps on each arm, starting with the weaker one.