6 Health Benefits of Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise

The dumbbell shoulder press can be performed while sitting or standing. (Image via Pexels/ Anete Lusina)
The dumbbell shoulder press can be performed while sitting or standing. (Image via Pexels/Anete Lusina)

The dumbbell shoulder press is undoubtedly the best workout for the upper body to build shoulder strength and muscle.

Maintaining the health of upper body muscles is crucial, whether you're following a weightlifting regimen or simply seeking to regain mobility. These muscles assist you in performing daily tasks like arranging objects on a shelf above your head or putting dishes in cabinets that are high up.


How to Perform Dumbbell Shoulder Press?

The dumbbell shoulder press can be performed while sitting or standing, and the dumbbells can be twisted in a hammer grip or held horizontally at the shoulders. This exercise can be incorporated in any upper body strength routine.

Check out the best upper body workouts for beginners.

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Here’s how to do a dumbbell shoulder press:

  • Keep your back straight and posture upright. With an overhand grip, hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level.
  • Knuckles should be facing up, and thumbs should be on the inside.
  • Exhale as you steadily elevate the weights above your head.
  • At the peak of the motion, pause briefly.
  • Bring back the dumbbells to shoulders by inhaling.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: How Is It Beneficial?

By doing the dumbbell shoulder press, the anterior, posterior, and total shoulder region can be emphasized depending on the grip utilized, angle, and variant of the shoulder press.

Check out six health benefits offered by the dumbbell shoulder press:

1) Helps get bigger delts

You can use moderate to high loads in this exercise to focus on the deltoids. Even though you might not be able to lift as much weight as you can with a barbell overhead press, you can still move some rather big iron.

In case you didn't know, the theory of progressive overload says that you must constantly put more strain on the muscles to grow their size. The dumbbell shoulder press is a top shoulder development exercise, as you can always add weight to it.


2) Promotes symmetrical growth

In contrast to barbell overhead press exercises, the dumbbell shoulder press prevents you from completing reps by compensating your weaker side with your stronger one.

Dumbbell shoulder press can, therefore, prevent or treat muscular and strength imbalance between your right and left upper arms.

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3) Helps build wider shoulders

Dumbbells are used in this workout, so you can grip and move the weights more easily than you could with a barbell. So, the dumbbell press strikes the lateral deltoids more forcefully.

The end result is a more pronounced 'V-taper' appearance and a better-developed outer deltoid head that gives the shoulders a more 'capped' appearance. To properly isolate the outer delts, try lateral raises.


4) Targets pecs

The muscles in the chest are referred to as the pectorals. The upper chest muscles are intensely engaged when you do a dumbbell shoulder press.

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Many other exercises typically make it difficult to target the upper chest muscles. The upper chest can look well-built if you press with dumbbells frequently.


5) Increases joint mobility

The dumbbell shoulder press, whether done with two dumbbells at once or just one, trains the body to improve movement coordination. It doesn't rely on compensatory mechanisms in the event that one shoulder is stronger or more mobile than the other, which increases joint and movement integrity (if done correctly).


6) Builds up muscle mass

Due to dumbbells attracting new muscle fibers and improving movement coordination, the dumbbell shoulder press is a fabulous approach to boost muscular activation and build hypertrophy.

Check out the best chest hypertrophy exercises to increase muscle mass.


Takeaway

Consult your physician or physical therapist to see if this exercise is safe for you if you have a shoulder, neck, or back injury. When doing this exercise, you run the risk of injuring your shoulders, especially if you use high weights or perform the workout incorrectly.

Slowly drop the weights, and stop the workout if you experience any pain while performing the exercise. Use only the weight you can press effectively.

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