How to do a Arnold Press
The Arnold press is a dumbbell shoulder press that starts with palms facing you and rotates them outward as you press overhead. The twist increases range of motion and keeps the front and side delts working throughout. It suits beginners with some pressing experience and intermediate lifters looking for a shoulder-building variation.
- Primary muscles
- Shoulders (anterior and lateral deltoids)
- Also works
- Triceps, Upper chest, Upper traps
- Equipment
- Dumbbells, Bench (optional)
- Level
- Intermediate
Step by step
- Sit on a bench or stand tall holding dumbbells in front of your shoulders with palms facing you and elbows tucked in front of your body.
- Brace your core and keep your chest up with a neutral lower back.
- Begin pressing upward while sweeping your elbows out to the sides and rotating your palms forward.
- Finish with your arms straight overhead and your palms facing away from you.
- Reverse the path on the way down, rotating your palms back toward you as the dumbbells return to the front of your shoulders.
- Pause briefly at the bottom and repeat with the same smooth rotation.
Coaching cues
- Make the rotation and press happen together in one fluid motion.
- Use lighter dumbbells than your standard shoulder press.
- Keep your ribs down so the press does not turn into a lean back.
Common mistakes
Rotating then pressing
Blend the turn of the palms into the press rather than doing two separate movements.
Going too heavy
Choose a weight that lets you control the rotation through the full range.
Leaning back
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, or sit against a back support.
Rushing the lowering phase
Take about two seconds to bring the dumbbells back down while reversing the rotation.
Sets and reps
Strength
3–4 sets of 6–8 reps
Muscle growth
3–4 sets of 8–12 reps
Endurance
2–3 sets of 15–20 reps
Alternatives
FAQ
Is the Arnold press better than a regular shoulder press?
It is not strictly better, but the rotation adds range of motion and time under tension for the front delts. A regular press usually allows heavier loads, so many lifters use both.
Does the Arnold press work all three deltoid heads?
It mainly works the front and side delts, with only light involvement from the rear delts. Add rear-delt flyes or face pulls for full shoulder development.
One of 800+ exercises in Bravel
Every exercise in the app comes with a video demo, auto-progression and a log of every set. Join the waitlist and get all of them at launch.