Major Muscles Worked:
Shoulders
Set Up:
- Hold 2 dumbbells in your hands at shoulder height
- Turn your palms so that they’re facing each-other
thumbs are towards your shoulders, pinkies towards the front of your body. - Chest Up, Shoulders Back
- Engage your core.
The Movement:
- Keeping the weights the same distance from each other, press the weights above your head, towards the ceiling.
At the top of the movement, the weights should be directly overhead, elbows straight, and biceps by your ears. - Slowly, with control, lower the weights back to the starting position.
Specific Cues:
- When pressing overhead,make sure that your arms aren’t in front of your body.
this puts a lot of unnecessary stress on your upper back and shoulders - At the top of the movement, the weights can travel closer together – just make sure that they don’t travel away from the center line of your body.
Variations:
- Push-Press * – bend your knees, and use the momentum as you pop back up to standing to press the weight overhead.
- 1 Arm Shoulder Press – Only hold 1 dumbbell in one arm
- Sink & Press * – Performed with the 1 Arm Shoulder Press, bend towards the side of the body that is holding the weight. As you straighten, press the weight above your head.
- Alternate Loaded Shoulder Press – hold 1 weight in both hands, off-set on one shoulder. Raise the weight overhead towards the ceiling, lowering on the other side of your head. Repeat, reversing direction.
* Both the Push Press & Sink & Press are techniques to use when the weight you are using is heavy & you can’t perform another repetition using the strict press form.