Dumbbell Arnold Press

Hold the dumbbells in front of your chest with your palms facing you, and firmly brace your abs and glutes so your ribs do not flare. Find a comfortable position for your wrists and elbows, and keep the dumbbells from pressing too close to your body.

Press the dumbbells overhead while naturally rotating your palms to face forward. Make the transition smooth as the front of your shoulders opens and the side delts join in, without swaying side to side.

Hold briefly with your arms fully extended, then lower the dumbbells slowly while rotating your palms back toward you. Keep the rotation slow on the way down so your front and side delts stay under tension longer.

The front delts start the lift, then the side delts join as you rotate—this is the key to the Arnold press. If you feel only the wrist rotation and not your shoulders, reduce the weight and press slowly.

Focusing on the rotation can lead you to arch your back or bend your wrists, shifting stress to your lower back and wrists instead of your shoulders. If the rotation speeds up with a heavy weight and your form breaks down, lower the weight right away.

Exhale as you press up and inhale as you lower. Keeping your breathing slow helps the rotation and press timing stay smooth.

Start the Arnold press with a lighter weight than a standard shoulder press. Make sure the rotation is smooth and you are steady with your arms fully extended before adding weight.