shoulders intermediateAI Tracked

Arnold Press

The Arnold press — invented by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself — adds a rotation to the standard dumbbell press that hits all three heads of the deltoid in one movement. Regular presses mainly target the front and side delts, but the Arnold press rotation brings in the rear delts and increases time under tension. It's a more complete shoulder exercise in every way.

How to Do Arnold Press: Step by Step

  1. Sit with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing you (like the top of a curl)
  2. Press the weights up while rotating your palms to face forward
  3. At the top, your palms should face away from you — standard press position
  4. Reverse the movement on the way down — rotate palms back toward you
  5. The rotation should be smooth and continuous, not jerky

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Rotating too early or too late — the rotation should span the entire press
  • Using too much weight — go lighter than your regular press, the rotation makes it harder
  • Arching your back — keep your core tight and back against the seat

Muscles Worked

shoulderstriceps
Equipment dumbbells
Tracking Count reps

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