# Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: how to do it

- Main muscles: front delts, side delts
- Also works: triceps
- Equipment: dumbbell, bench
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/seated_dumbbell_shoulder_press/39826e41be/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Sit tall against an upright bench, feet flat, dumbbells at ear height.
2. Upper arms level with your shoulders, elbows slightly forward, palms forward.
3. Press up and slightly in until your arms are almost straight.
4. Lower slowly until your elbows are level with your shoulders again.

## Cues

- Elbows never below your shoulders
- Back and head on the pad
- Press up and slightly in

## Common mistakes

- Lowering too far, elbows to your ribs: stop at shoulder level.
- Arching your back off the pad: brace and keep it flat.
- Elbows flared straight out: bring them slightly forward.

## Starting position

Upright bench with a back pad. Head, shoulders and buttocks touch the pad. Feet flat, about shoulder-width apart, knees about 90°. Low back neutral, no arch. Shoulder blades down and back. Pronated, closed grip (palms forward, thumbs round the handles), wrists straight in line with the forearms.

## The movement

Up and slightly in; down and slightly out, back to the same bottom position. Straight up for most of the press, with the inward drift in the last third. The elbows keep their 30°-forward angle all the way and stay under the dumbbells. Torso stays rigid against the pad; the low back does not arch more as the arms rise. Head neutral.

## End position

(turnaround point): elbows extended to about 170–180°, not snapped into lock. Dumbbells directly over the shoulder joints, arms close to vertical and beside the ears. The inner ends finish about 5 cm apart or just touching.

## Tempo

About 2 s up, a short pause at the top, 2–2.5 s down (controlled, not a drop), a brief hold at the bottom.

## Form in numbers

| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Shoulder elevation at the bottom | 90° | 80–90°, never below |  |
| Elbow flexion at the bottom | 90° | 80–100° |  |
| Elbows forward of the frontal plane | 30° | 20–40° |  |
| Forearm from vertical at the bottom | 0° | 0–10° |  |
| Dumbbell height at the bottom | ear level | top of shoulder to ear lobe |  |
| Elbow at the top | 175° | 170–180°, no snap |  |
| Gap between dumbbells at the top | 5 cm | 0–8 cm |  |
| Back pad angle | 90° | 80–90° |  |

## Sources

1. [[ACE: Seated Overhead Press (dumbbells)](](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/45/seated-overhead-press/)
2. [[NFPT: How to Do Shoulder Presses with Dumbbells](](https://nfpt.com/how-to-do-shoulder-presses-with-dumbbells/)
3. [[Dicus et al. 2018, Int J Exerc Sci: Stability of resistance training implement alters EMG activity during the overhead press](](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6033506/)
4. [[Mass General Hospital Sports Medicine: Strength Training for the Shoulder](](https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/content/dam/unified-xwalk/pdf/patient-education/english/mass-general-strength-training-for-the-shoulder.pdf)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/seated-dumbbell-shoulder-press