Shoulders
Arnold Press
A shoulder press with a twist: you start palms facing you and finish palms forward, moving the shoulder through a bigger arc.
Also known as: Arnold dumbbell press
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Type
- Compound
Muscles worked
How to do it
- Sit with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing you, like the top of a curl.
- Start pressing up while opening your elbows and rotating your wrists.
- Finish with straight arms and palms facing forward.
- Lower by reversing the rotation back to the start.
Form cues
- The rotation is smooth and happens during the press, not before or after.
- Use a bit less weight than for a regular press.
- Back supported, abs tight.
Common mistakes
- Rotating first and pressing second: you lose what makes the exercise special.
- Going too heavy: the rotation gets sloppy.
- Arching your lower back: stay against the backrest.
Sets and reps
3 sets of 8-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest.
FAQ
What's special about the Arnold press?
The rotation moves the shoulder through a bigger arc and works the front delt from a lower starting point.
Is it better than a regular press?
Not necessarily, since it allows less weight. It's a good variation to change the stimulus.
Why is it called the Arnold press?
It's named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, who popularised it.
What muscles do the Arnold press work?
They mainly work the front delts and the side delts, with help from the serratus, the traps and the triceps.
Train with Nuvana
Add the Arnold press to your next workout
Log your sets and weights, and see how each muscle progresses in the app.
