Shoulders / Intermediate / Compound (multi-joint)

Arnold Press

A seated dumbbell press that rotates the palms from facing you to facing forward, training all heads of the deltoid.

At a glance

Primary

Front delts, Side delts

Secondary

Triceps, Chest, Serratus anterior, Rotator cuff

Equipment

Dumbbells, Bench

Movement pattern

Overhead push, Shoulder rotation

Level

Intermediate

Type

Shoulders, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the shoulder. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Sit on a bench with back support, holding dumbbells in front of your shoulders with palms facing you and elbows bent.
2. Press the dumbbells overhead while rotating your palms to face forward.
3. Finish with arms extended above your head.
4. Reverse the motion, rotating the palms back toward you as you lower to the start.

Tips

• Keep the core braced and back against the pad.
• Move smoothly; do not rush the rotation.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Rotating too heavy a weight quickly.

  Why it hurts: Rotation combined with pressing overhead can pinch the rotator cuff tendons.

  ✓ Instead: Use lighter weights than your normal press and turn the palms slowly as the dumbbells rise.

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