How to Do the Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Form, Starting Weight, Sets
The Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a dumbbell exercise that mainly works your shoulder. Beginners start with 3 sets of 8–12 reps and add 2 kg once every set hits the target.
Form in 3 steps
- Sit on a bench with the back upright and hold the dumbbells beside your ears at shoulder height.
- Face your palms forward and keep your elbows slightly in front of your body. Brace your abs.
- Breathe out and press the dumbbells overhead, then breathe in and slowly lower them back beside your ears.
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower back hard: it puts stress on your back. Keep your back against the pad and your abs tight.
- Lowering the dumbbells too far: it can strain your shoulders. Stop around ear level.
- Clanking the dumbbells together at the top: you lose tension. Stop with a little gap between them overhead.
Starting weight for beginners
DailyFit sets your first weight from your body weight, sex and training experience. For beginners it looks like this:
| Example | Starting weight |
|---|---|
| 70 kg man, beginner | 8kg |
| 60 kg woman, beginner | 4kg |
If you can't hit the target reps with good form on the first set, go one step lighter. Machines can be labeled differently.
Sets, reps and rest by goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 sets | 4–6 reps | 3 min |
| Build muscle | 4 sets | 6–10 reps | 2 min |
| Lose fat | 3 sets | 10–12 reps | 1 min |
| General health | 3 sets | 8–12 reps | 1 min 30 sec |
When should you add weight?
When every set reaches the top of the rep range, add 2 kg next time. If a set falls short, keep the weight. Fall short twice in a row and drop 10% to build back up. DailyFit does this math for you from your log.
When to pick another exercise
If your shoulder bothers you, skip this one for now. Mark it as sore in DailyFit and the app swaps this exercise out of your routine.
Alternatives
Add the Dumbbell Shoulder Press to today's workout?
Tell DailyFit your goal, time, equipment and any sore spots, and it builds today's workout. Ducky counts your reps out loud and the rest timer runs itself.
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FAQ
How much weight should a beginner use on the Dumbbell Shoulder Press?
DailyFit starts beginners at about 12% of body weight (65% of that for women). That is about 8 kg for a 70 kg man and 4 kg for a 60 kg woman. If you can't hit the target reps with good form on the first set, go one step lighter.
My shoulders hurt during the Dumbbell Shoulder Press.
Drop the weight and bring your elbows a little more in front of you. If it still hurts, stop and see a professional. If you pick shoulders as a problem area in DailyFit, this exercise is left out of your routine.
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