THE SINGLE ARM DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS
Shoulder health has become a hot topic in the health and fitness industry due to the rising number of shoulder injuries seen in young adults. Improper and unstable movements of the shoulder joint are a major contributor to these injuries.
Overhead pressing exercises create strong healthy shoulders and help encourage a full range of motion.
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THE DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS FORM VIDEO
BENEFITS OF THE DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS
- Allows you to train each shoulder individually to smooth out any existing muscular imbalances
- The use of uneven loading strengthens the core musculature, causing you to actively stabilize the weight overhead
- The push press allows you to use hip drive, which Incorporates more muscles into the movement
MUSCLES WORKED DURING THE DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS
- Anterior and medial deltoids
- Triceps
- Core
- Glutes
HOW TO PERFORM THE DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS WITH GOOD TECHNIQUE
- Pick up a dumbbell with the arm you wish to train first
- Using the momentum from a well-controlled jump, clean the dumbbell up to your anterior shoulder
- Rest one side of the dumbbell on top of your shoulder and keep your elbow up and in front of the weight
- From this position, set your stance to roughly shoulder width with your feet pointed forward or out no more than 15-30 degrees.
- You can also reach your nonworking arm straight out in front of you to help with stability
- From this position, take a deep breath and brace your core
- Begin the dip by bending slightly at the knees while maintaining a neutral spine – it’s the same position you would be in if you were preparing to jump straight up
- From this point extend your hips and knees forcefully and come up on your toes to generate force in an upward direction
- Begin pressing the dumbbell straight overhead until your elbow is locked out
- At the overhead position, engage your core muscles and glute muscles to maintain stability
- Control the weight back down to your anterior shoulder for the next repetition
COMMON MISTAKES
PRESSING THE DUMBBELL OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR BODY
- Keep the weight in line with your body. From the side view, we should be able to draw a straight line down from the weight to your ankle
NOT CONTROLLING THE DIP PORTION OF THE PUSH PRESS
- Keep the dip brief and controlled- only bend your knees enough to extend forcefully
CHALLENGE
Perform 1/3rd of your body weight in each hand for 5 Repetitions
HOW CAN I INTEGRATE THE DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS INTO MY TRAINING?
Check out The WCT Best Workout Template For Busy Professionals to find a simple way to add the dumbbell push press and other great exercises into your routine.
DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS/SINGLE ARM ALTERNATIVES
Alex Robles, MD, CPT / Brittany Robles, MD, MPH, CPT
Alex & Brittany Robles are physicians, NASM Certified Personal Trainers, and founders of The White Coat Trainer: a resource dedicated to improving the health and fitness of busy professionals using time-efficient strategies. Their advice has been featured in My Fitness Pal, Prevention, Livestrong, Reader’s Digest, Bustle, The Active Times, and more. Learn more about them here.