Arnold Press

Muscle Groups Involved

Delts - Front - Primary
Delts - Lateral/Side - Primary
Chest/Pecs - Upper - Primary

Highlights

Start with dumbbells held in front of your shoulders, palms facing you.
Twist the dumbbells as you go up. Half way up = half way twisted.
Palms should face out at the top of the movement.
Do not flare elbows out. Keep them tucked in the whole time.

Description

The Arnold Press is a famous variation on the Shoulder Press popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger that targets the deltoids. The exercise was initially devised to provide a greater range of motion and target additional areas of the shoulder muscles compared to the traditional shoulder press. To perform the Arnold Press start in a seated position, holding dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing your body. Be sure to start in a slightly flexed position to keep tension on your deltoid muscles throughout the entire movement. Start pressing the dumbbells above your head as you rotate your palms out. At the top of the movement your palms should be facing away from you. Contract your muscles hard at the top of the movement, and pause briefly before reversing the movement and returning the dumbbells to their original position. Do not rest in between repetitions.

Common Mistakes

Do not rotate the dumbbells first and then press. Be sure to rotate as you

Do not rotate the dumbbells first and then press. Be sure to rotate as you press so that half way up you are halfway rotated and at the top you are fully rotated.

Pro Tips

Pull your elbows in as you lower the dumbbells but flare your lats like a c

Pull your elbows in as you lower the dumbbells but flare your lats like a cobra in order to get the right groove for the movement to maximize tension on your deltoids. “Push your armpits out” and forward to feel how to flare your lats as you perform the press.

Purpose

If you only have time for one shoulder press you can consider this one as i

If you only have time for one shoulder press you can consider this one as it has an increased range of motion, increased time under tension, and provides development to more of the deltoid than traditional bodybuilding style shoulder presses.

Form

Check that you can see the ends of the dumbbells as your hands are passing

Check that you can see the ends of the dumbbells as your hands are passing your face above the level of your forehead as you press. This will ensure that you are rotating your hands evenly throughout the movement.