How to do it
- Sit on an upright bench with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
- Press up and slightly inwards until the arms are almost locked out.
- Lower under control until the elbows drop just below shoulder level.
Cues that matter
- Keep the ribs down and the core braced so the lower back does not arch.
- Do not clash the dumbbells at the top.
Common mistakes
- Arching the back into an incline press.
- Cutting the range short at the bottom.
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 Seated Dumbbell Shoulder 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