How To Do The Arnold Press

But the truth is, the standard shoulder press misses key parts of the deltoid muscle.

That’s exactly why Arnold Schwarzenegger developed the Seated Arnold Dumbbell Press. His aim was to fix what other lifts overlook.

This variation doesn’t just press weight overhead.

It adds rotation through the lift, activating the front, side, and rear delts in one smooth motion. That extra movement increases muscle recruitment and helps improve shoulder stability without adding stress to the joints.

The Arnold Press is one of my favorite ways to do a press. However, a lot of people get this wrong.

There’s a lot of nuance to how you press these dumbbells overhead, especially with the timing. And a lot of people are messing this up. It’s costing them gains as well as comfort in the shoulders and wrists.

Today, I’m covering what makes the Arnold Dumbbell Press unique, which muscles it targets, how to perform it with proper form, and the biggest mistakes to avoid.

ARNOLD PRESS: MUSCLES WORKED

The Arnold Press doesn’t just press weight overhead. It moves through space in a way that challenges your coordination, control, and muscular awareness.

That unique rotation from front to overhead forces more muscles to engage and makes each rep harder to fake. You can’t just throw the weight up. You have to control it through the full range of motion.

This is where the mind-to-muscle connection becomes essential.

With a Standard Press, it’s easy to go through the motions. But with the Arnold Dumbbell Press, you’re rotating, pressing, and stabilizing all at once.

You have to stay focused on what each part of your shoulder is doing. That control doesn’t just make the movement safer. It makes it more effective.

Here’s what’s doing the work and what each muscle contributes to the lift.

ANTERIOR DELT (Front)

Located at the front of the shoulder, this is your primary mover in any Shoulder Press or Overhead Press variation.

It lifts your arm forward and up. In most lifters, it’s already overdeveloped from Bench Pressing and traditional pressing movements.

The Arnold Dumbbell Press still activates it strongly, but the rotation helps shift more of the load across the entire shoulder instead of dumping it all here.

POSTERIOR DELT (REAR)

Sitting on the back side of your shoulder, the posterior delt helps pull your arm backward and keeps your shoulder stable during pressing movements.

Most overhead exercises barely touch this muscle.

But during the Arnold Press, the rotational path and forward elbow positioning at the start force this muscle to help control the movement, giving it more stimulation than the standard shoulder press or push press ever could.

LATERAL DELT (SIDE)

This muscle runs along the outside of the shoulder. It’s what gives you shoulder width and that capped look from the front and side.

The lateral deltoid, or medial deltoid, helps lift your arms out to the sides.

Because the Arnold Press moves from a forward-facing curl position to a wide-open overhead lockout, it brings this head into the game more than a Seated Shoulder Press or Hang Clean and press would.

TRICEPS BRACHII: LATERAL HEAD

The lateral head of the triceps is found on the outer part of your upper arm. It helps extend the elbow and contributes to the finishing part of the press.

The Seated Arnold Dumbbell Press, like all dumbbell pressing movements, activates the lateral head as you push the weight overhead, especially in the top half of the lift.

TRICEPS BRACHII: MEDIAL HEAD

The medial head lies underneath the other two heads of the triceps.

It assists with elbow extension and stabilizes the joint during pressing.

While it’s not the star of the show, it stays active through the entire movement, especially when pressing under control.

TRICEPS BRACHII: LONG HEAD

The long head of the triceps runs along the back of the arm and attaches to the shoulder blade.

It assists with both elbow and shoulder movement.

Because the Arnold Dumbbell Press brings the elbows in front of the body during the setup, this head gets slightly more stretch and tension than during a Traditional Press.

UPPER TRAPS

Finally, the upper traps are the muscles that sit at the top of your shoulders, running into your neck.

They help elevate the shoulder girdle and stabilize the press.

While you don’t want them to dominate the movement, they do kick in to keep the shoulders aligned and support the load overhead.

HOW TO DO ARNOLD PRESSES

Unlike the Push Press, which uses momentum, or the Seated Shoulder Press, which locks you into a fixed plane, the Arnold Press forces more control, more tension, and more muscle recruitment.

Here’s how to do it right in three simple parts:

STARTING POSITION

Let’s talk about the starting position, because this is where most people screw up the Arnold Press before they’ve even moved an inch.

Here’s the problem: a lot of lifters like to let the dumbbells rest right on their shoulders at the bottom of the exercise. Don’t do that.

First off, you’re giving the muscles a break when they should be under tension. That’s wasted time under tension and missed opportunities to challenge the muscles.

But even more importantly, look at what happens to your forearm angle when you park the dumbbells on your shoulders.

The forearms tilt backward, creating a diagonal angle instead of staying vertical. That’s bad news for your pressing mechanics.

Instead, you want to keep your joints stacked.

Hold the dumbbells slightly away from your body so your wrists stay stacked directly over your elbows. When you press overhead from this position, you’ve got solid support beneath the weight.

This stacked alignment takes strain off your wrist and elbow joints, helps you drive the dumbbells overhead safely, and keeps the tension right where you want it: on the delts.

PRESSING OVERHEAD

From here, we move on to the pressing part of the Arnold Press. This is where a ton of guys completely butcher the movement.

I’ve seen all kinds of crazy variations including people swinging their arms like they’re throwing punches or rotating the dumbbells way too early.

That’s not how Arnold designed this exercise.

The whole point of the Arnold Press is to hit both the front delt and the middle delt through one smooth, controlled movement.

At the bottom of the lift, your elbows should be positioned out in front of your body. That’s key.

Any time your elbows are in front, whether you’re doing a Front Raise or a Shoulder Press, you’re targeting the front delts.

But as the arms start moving outward to your sides, the middle delt takes over. That’s because the lateral delt is better equipped to handle that sideways motion.

So, if you’re doing lateral raises or pressing with your elbows flared out to the sides, you’re shifting the load toward the middle delt.

Here’s the right sequence to press correctly during the Arnold Press:

Start with the elbows in front of your body. Your upper arms (humerus) should be in front, not flared out to the side. This keeps tension on the front delts right from the start.

Press the dumbbells straight up in front of you until they reach about forehead level. Don’t rotate too early. Keep pressing up in that front plane.

At forehead level, begin the rotation.

As the dumbbells turn outward, your elbows rotate out too. Now, your upper arms are moving further away from your body.

Finish the press overhead with the elbows abducted, meaning they’re out wider, shifting the focus onto the middle delts.

LOWERING THE DUMBBELLS

On the way down, reverse the motion. Rotate the dumbbells back in as you lower them, bringing your elbows back in front of your body.

One side note: People love to say the Arnold Press hits the rear delts. Technically, yeah, the rear delt does contribute a little bit but it’s minimal, only around 11%.

This is not a great rear delt exercise. If you want to hit the rear delts properly, go do a Seated Row or (my all-time favorite) Face Pulls.

Save the Arnold Press for what it’s best at, which is front and middle delt domination.

SEATED ARNOLD PRESS

On the way down, reverse the motion. Rotate the dumbbells back in as you lower them, bringing your elbows back in front of your body.

STANDING ARNOLD PRESS

ARNOLD PRESS VS. TRADITIONAL SHOULDER PRESS

The Arnold Press and the Traditional Dumbbell Shoulder Press may look similar, but they train your shoulders in very different ways.

Here’s what sets them apart and why the Arnold variation might give you more value for every rep.

RANGE OF MOTION

The Traditional Shoulder Press moves the weight straight up and down. That’s it.

The Arnold Press travels through a longer arc, starting with the elbows in front and rotating outward as you press overhead.

That extra path adds time under tension and forces the deltoid muscle to work harder, especially through the mid and top ranges of the lift.

More motion equals more stimulus.

MUSCLE ACTIVATION

The Standard Press mostly hits the anterior deltoid.

With the Arnold Press, the added rotation forces your body to stabilize the dumbbells and engage more muscle fibers, especially in the medial deltoids and posterior deltoid, which are often undertrained.

If your goal is full shoulder development, this variation checks the box.

STABILITY AND CONTROL

The Arnold Press demands more control than the Traditional Dumbbell Press.

Because of the rotation and longer path, your stabilizer muscles work harder to guide the weight smoothly through the movement.

That added control builds better joint integrity and teaches proper shoulder mechanics, especially for lifters who tend to rush their reps or rely on momentum.

MIND-TO-MUSCLE CONNECTION

With the Standard Press, it’s easy to zone out and just move weight. The Arnold Press forces you to stay mentally engaged.

The rotating motion requires you to consciously activate the deltoid muscle through every phase of the lift.

That increased focus helps you recruit the right muscles instead of letting stronger muscles like the traps or chest take over.

SHOULDER JOINT HEALTH

Since the Arnold Press starts with the elbows in front of the body and allows natural rotation, it puts the shoulder joint in a safer, more functional position.

This movement encourages better scapular control and reduces stress on the rotator cuff compared to pressing straight up from a fixed position.

When performed with proper form, it’s a smarter choice for long-term shoulder health.

ARNOLD PRESS: COMMON MISTAKES

The Arnold Press only works if you respect what makes it different. It’s not just another overhead movement.

It’s a controlled, rotational lift designed to hit the shoulders from angles the standard press misses.

But most people treat it like a Regular Dumbbell Press with a twist and end up turning a great exercise into a sloppy one.

If you’re not paying attention to how you perform each rep, you’re not getting the full benefit and worse, you’re putting your joints at risk.

To train smart and actually see results in your shoulder size, strength, and mobility, you need to avoid the most common mistakes that ruin this lift.

Here’s wat to watch for and how to fix it.

GOING TOO HEAVY

The Arnold Press isn’t about how much you can lift. It’s about how well you can move.

Grabbing dumbbells that are too heavy forces you to compensate by swinging, leaning, or skipping the rotation altogether.

This kills shoulder activation and increases the risk of injury. You should feel your delts doing the work from the first inch to the last, not your ego.

PRESSING INTO THE BENCH

Continuing with the point above, another mistake I see all the time is when people start pressing back into the bench, especially when guys start going heavy.

It’s like they’re trying to set a PR on the Bench Press.

They drive their feet into the floor, push their back into the pad, and shove the weight overhead. Sure, it helps you move more weight but it’s the wrong move for overhead pressing.

Why? Because overhead pressing isn’t bench pressing.

When you press overhead, your shoulder blades have to move. They’re supposed to rotate upward as your arm goes overhead.

It’s called scapulohumeral rhythm, which is a 2-to-1 ratio of movement between your glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and your scapula.

For every two degrees your arm moves, your shoulder blade has to rotate one degree to keep everything in proper alignment.

If you’re pressing back into the bench, you’re locking your shoulder blades down.

That interrupts their natural rotation and messes with the mechanics of your press. Now you’re fighting your own body instead of moving efficiently and that’s a fast track to shoulder pain and injury.

To fix it, sit slightly forward on the bench instead of pressing your entire back into it.

Keep your core tight and posture tall but let your shoulder blades move naturally as you press overhead.

Don’t push through your feet and drive backward like you’re on the bench press. This is a shoulder exercise, not a chest press.

SKIPPING THE ROTATION

The rotation is what makes the Arnold Press different from a Standard Shoulder Press.

Starting with your palms facing you and turning them out as you press isn’t just for show. It activates more muscle fibers and trains better shoulder function.

If you rush through this part or just “kind of” rotate, you’re not doing the exercise. You’re just pressing with flair and calling it something it’s not.

Mistake 1: They start with elbows in front, spin the dumbbells out, then press. Just spinning without pressing upward first does nothing. You’re simply switching from a front delt position to a middle delt position without actually using both through the movement.

Mistake 2: They press and rotate but keep the elbows locked in front the whole time. That keeps the load on the front delts instead of shifting it to the middle delts where it belongs.

Here’s the fix:

• Start with elbows in front.
• Press straight up until the dumbbells reach forehead level.
• Rotate outward as your elbows slide out to transition the load to the middle delts.
• Reverse it on the way down.

GOING TOO FAR BACK WITH THE SHOULDERS

Another big mistake people make with the Arnold Press is that they let their elbows drift way too far out, or even behind their body, as they press.

When that happens, you’re basically turning the Arnold Press into a Behind-the-Neck Overhead Press. And that’s a problem.

Once your shoulders leave the natural scapular plane, which is angled about 30 degrees forward, you start piling unnecessary stress onto your rotator cuff and shoulder joints.

Keep your elbows slightly in front of your body, not flared straight out to the sides.

When you press, let the elbows move outward a bit, but don’t let them drift so far back that you’re pressing from behind your head.

Staying a little forward keeps you in the scapular plane, protects your shoulders, and still lets you hit the front and middle delts effectively.

LEANING BACK EXCESSIVELY

If your lower back is doing more work than your shoulders, something’s wrong.

Leaning back during the press shifts tension away from the delts and puts unnecessary pressure on the spine.

It usually happens when the weight is too heavy, or your core isn’t braced.

This isn’t an Incline Chest Press. Keep your torso upright, ribs down, and abs tight throughout the movement.

RAPID OR JERKY MOTION

Quick reps might make it look like you’re moving serious weight, but you’re not training your shoulders.

Jerky movements throw off shoulder alignment, reduce muscle engagement, and increase joint stress.

The Arnold Press is about control. Every phase should be smooth, steady, and deliberate, especially during the rotation.

NOT CONTROLLING THE NEGATIVE

Most people focus only on getting the weight up, then drop it on the way down. That’s a missed opportunity.

The lowering phase is where a lot of the strength and stability work happens.

If you just let gravity take over, you’re not training the full movement.

Control the reverse rotation, lower with purpose, and keep tension on the delts the entire time.

ARNOLD PRESS: SEATED OR STANDING?

The Arnold Press is versatile. You can do it seated or standing, and each version challenges your body in a different way.

One isn’t necessarily better than the other. It depends on your training goals, experience level, and how well you can maintain control throughout the movement.

SEATED: MORE STABILITY, MORE ISOLATION

Performing the Arnold Press seated gives you the benefit of a stable base.

With your back supported and your legs planted, you eliminate the need for balance and core engagement.

This setup allows you to focus completely on shoulder mechanics and deltoid activation.

For beginners, the seated Arnold Dumbbell Press is a smart starting point.

It teaches you how to move through the rotation with control, how to avoid elbow flaring, and how to press without using momentum.

Even for experienced lifters, the seated version is useful when the goal is strict isolation of the deltoid muscle, especially if you’re targeting lagging medial deltoids or posterior deltoid fibers that are often neglected.

STANDING: MORE ATHLETIC, MORE DEMANDING

The standing version takes away the back support and forces your body to stabilize the movement on its own.

That means your core, glutes, and even your legs are working behind the scenes to keep your posture upright and your press on track.

This version mimics real-life lifting demands and makes the Arnold Press more of a full-body challenge.

It’s especially useful for athletes or lifters who want to improve coordination, balance, and total-body control.

But the trade-off is that it’s easier to cheat the movement.

If your core isn’t braced or you start leaning back, you’ll shift tension away from your shoulders and into your lower back, defeating the purpose of the lift.

JEFF’S TAKE: USE BOTH

You don’t have to pick sides. Use both versions strategically.

Start with the Seated Arnold Dumbbell Press if you’re learning the movement or want to train the shoulders in isolation.

Use the standing version to build total-body control and reinforce proper movement under load.

Alternating between both gives you more variety and a well-rounded shoulder routine.

The Arnold Press, named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, isn’t just another dumbbell exercise.

It combines elements of the Seated Shoulder Press with additional movement that targets more of the shoulder through rotation, making it one of the most effective pressing variations you can add to your training.

If you want to train like you actually care about how your shoulders look and function, the Arnold Press needs to be in your routine.

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ARNOLD PRESS FAQ