Arnold Dumbbell PressMuscles Worked
The Arnold press works your shoulders, hitting the front delts hardest while the rotation brings the side delts in, and your triceps finish the lockout. Starting with your palms facing you and turning them out as you press is what sets it apart from a standard dumbbell press.
How to do it
- Sit against an upright back pad with the dumbbells at upper chest height, palms toward you and elbows bent, like the top of a curl.
- Start pressing up while you open your elbows out to the sides and turn your palms to face forward.
- Finish the rotation by the time the dumbbells pass your forehead, then press until your arms are straight overhead.
- Reverse the motion on the way down, turning your palms back toward you as the dumbbells return to your upper chest.
Form tips
- Make the rotation one smooth motion with the press rather than turning first and pressing second.
- Start lighter than your usual dumbbell press, because the rotation makes the bottom of the rep harder to control.
- Keep your back on the pad, since arching to finish a rep means the weight is too heavy.
Why it made the list
No. 6 of 13
Best Shoulder Exercises
Rotational pressing pattern hits all three delt heads in one movement. Named after Schwarzenegger — high recognition factor.
More shoulder exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Arnold Dumbbell Press sets in KasMaker and watch your shoulders and triceps fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
