pushshoulders

Arnold Press

A rotational dumbbell overhead press that adds extra shoulder work by combining a curl-like start with a standard press.

Equipment: Dumbbells

How to do it

1Sit on a bench with back support, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with palms facing your body and elbows in front of your torso.
2Press the dumbbells overhead while smoothly rotating your wrists so your palms end up facing forward at the top, arms fully extended.
3Reverse the rotation as you lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, finishing with palms facing your body again.

Common mistakes

Rotating the wrists abruptly at the top or bottom instead of turning them gradually throughout the whole rep.
Using the same weight as a standard shoulder press, which is too heavy given the added rotation and time under tension.

Sets & reps by goal

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest
Strength	3-4	4-6	2-3 min
Build muscle	3-4	8-12	60-90 sec
General fitness	3-4	12-15	45-60 sec

Ranges reflect the same goal-based logic used by the workout plan tool. Actual set count in a generated plan also depends on how often this muscle group appears elsewhere in your week.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Arnold Press safe for beginners?

The Arnold Press is tagged intermediate, meaning it generally works best once you already have some push training experience. If you're new to training, building a base with the Dumbbell Lateral Raise first is a reasonable place to start.

See the Dumbbell Lateral Raise

What muscles does the Arnold Press work?

The primary mover is your shoulders. As a push movement, it also involves your triceps and upper chest.

What can I substitute if I don't have dumbbells for the Arnold Press?

The Overhead Barbell Press targets the same primary muscle with different equipment, so it's a reasonable swap if you don't have dumbbells available.

See the Overhead Barbell Press

Related exercises

Learn more

Want a full plan built around exercises like this one? Try the workout plan tool.