Arnold Press
The arnold press is a vertical push exercise that primarily trains the front delts and side delts, with the triceps and rotator cuff assisting. Equipment: dumbbells and bench. Suited to intermediate lifters.
- Primary muscles
- Front Delts And Side Delts
- Secondary muscles
- triceps and rotator cuff
- Muscle group
- shoulders
- Equipment
- dumbbells and bench
- Movement pattern
- Vertical Push
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Also searched as
- arnold presses, dumbbell arnold press, arnold shoulder press
Complete arnold press guides
- Proper formArnold Press: Proper Form, Step by StepStep-by-step guide to proper Arnold press form: setup, execution cues, breathing, tempo, common mistakes with fixes, and programming guidance. Safety-first, evidence-aware coaching.
- Muscles workedArnold Press: Which Muscles It Trains and Practical AlternativesClear, evidence-aware guide to which muscles the Arnold press trains, how to use it in a program, and 3–4 practical alternatives with when to choose each.
- Sets and repsHow Many Sets and Reps for the Arnold Press?Clear, evidence-aware set/rep/frequency ranges for the Arnold press by goal (strength, hypertrophy, endurance), weekly progression and when to add weight vs reps.
- Common mistakesThe Most Common Arnold Press Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)Spot and fix the most frequent Arnold press errors: torso lean, poor rotation, wrist collapse, too-heavy loads, momentum, and weak scapular control — with concrete, evidence-based corrections.
- At-home alternativesArnold Press Alternatives at Home (Minimal Equipment)Five at-home substitutes for the Arnold press using dumbbells, bands, or bodyweight. What each preserves and loses, programming notes, and when to head to a gym.
Related exercises
Train the same muscles or the same movement pattern.
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