How to do it
- Start seated with the dumbbells in front of your chin, palms facing you.
- Rotate the palms outward as you press up until they face forward at lockout.
- Reverse the rotation smoothly on the way down.
Cues that matter
- The rotation should be gradual across the whole rep, not a flick at the end.
- Keep the elbows moving in one plane.
Common mistakes
- Rotating too early and losing all tension.
- Loading it like a strict press — this one runs lighter.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Shoulders
- Front delt
- Side delt
Also works
- Triceps
- Upper traps
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Arnold Press in a session, with 150 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 4–6 reps
- Build muscle
- 6–10 reps
- Endurance
- 12–20 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the shoulders with different equipment — for a day the dumbbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.
- Pike Push-UpBodyweight · Intermediate · Compound
- Standing Overhead PressBarbell · Intermediate · Compound
- Machine Shoulder PressMachine · Beginner · Compound
- Cable Front RaiseCable · Beginner · Isolation
- Band Overhead PressResistance band · Beginner · Compound
- Kettlebell Overhead PressKettlebell · Intermediate · Compound