6 Shoulder Press Variation Exercises for Men to Lose Arm Fat

Shoulder press is an excellent exercise for both upper body and shoulder training. (Image via Unsplash/ Dollar Gill)
Shoulder press is an excellent exercise for both upper body and shoulder training. (Image via Unsplash/Dollar Gill)

The shoulder press is to upper body training what the squat is to leg day — the fundamental exercise from which all others for the targeted muscle group flow.

The first thing you should consider when choosing your workout for the day and when it's time to train your delts is what kind of overhead press you will perform.

You can train on your shoulder heads from every angle by using shoulder press variants. The muscles are better equipped to handle larger resistance, as the fibers are thicker and stronger.

The deltoids, trapezius, triceps, and rotator cuffs are just a few of the muscles that are worked during the shoulder press. It's the finest approach to building muscle, developing strength, and improving stability.


Shoulder Press Variations to Lose Arm Fat

While most other body parts require a range of exercises to shape and tone them, this exercise engages the entire shoulders. The shoulder press not only strengthens the upper back, chest, and arm muscles but also develops the shoulders.

You must tighten your core muscles when lifting above the head to improve your posture. This exercise works the obliques, lower back, and abdominal muscles, which together assist in strengthening the entire core.

On that note, here's a look at six such workouts for men:

1) Seated Dumbbell Press

For those wishing to increase muscular growth in the deltoids and lose arm fat, this is an excellent shoulder press variant, as it allows you to press heavier.

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Instructions:

  • Holding a pair of dumbbells, sit on a low-back chair or an upright bench.
  • Start by raising the dumbbells so that they are just outside of your shoulders and facing the front.
  • When the dumbbells are overhead and your arms are nearly locked out, press the weights straight up by tightening your delts and extending your elbows.
  • Return the dumbbells to the starting position slowly.

2) Military Press

It's a barbell strength and shoulder press variation that works the trapezius muscles in the upper body and triceps in the arms, and helps to lose arm fat as well.

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Instructions:

  • Start by selecting a barbell that you can quickly raise to shoulder height.
  • Raise and hold it at your chest till your sternum is lined up with it. An alternative posture for the barbell is at roughly shoulder height on a rack.
  • Put your palms on the bar, slightly wider than shoulder width, up and forward.
  • Hold your breath as you inhale, and contract your abdominals. Lift the bar into the air directly.
  • Exhale as you lift the bar right over your head.
  • Take a breath as you lower the bar back to your collarbone.
  • Raise the bar one more to complete one rep.

3) Arnold Press

This exercise, also known as the Austrian Oak, is essentially a front-delts-emphasizing variation of the shoulder press. It helps protect the lower back while pressing the bigger loads and helping you lose arm fat.

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Instructions:

  • Place a pair of dumbbells in your hands, and take a seat on an adjustable bench with a low back.
  • With your hands facing you, start holding the weights in front of your shoulders.
  • Turn your wrists out as you press the dumbbells above so that your palms face front at the end of the rep.
  • Rotate your wrists back to their supinated position as you gradually lower the dumbbells to their starting position.

4) Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Another excellent overhead press variant to do on upper body days is the dumbbell shoulder press. By holding two dumbbells rather than a single barbell, you can develop your weaker side, and prevent your strong side from taking control.

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Instructions:

  • Draw a big breath in.
  • Straighten your elbows, and raise the dumbbells above your head as you exhale.
  • While lifting the weight, maintain a straight back, and resist the urge to slouch.
  • Keep your knees and hips locked; do not use your legs as support.
  • Stop lifting the weights above your head when they are a few centimeters apart from each other.

5) Z Press

The standing overhead shoulder press is boosted by the Z press. This exercise necessitates a strong core contraction and the usage of the stabilizer muscles, as there isn't a bench behind you. Barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells can be used to do a Z press.

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Instructions:

  • As you lift the weight, tense your upper back.
  • Your shoulders should be shrugged upwards towards the sky as you lock your arms at the peak of the motion.
  • Return the weight to the starting position gradually after locking out.
  • Once the weight has locked out, gradually return it to the starting position.

6) Kettlebell Single Arm Shoulder Press

Pressing unilaterally immediately reveals strength imbalance (or lack thereof), which can be corrected, if necessary, by performing the action consistently with each arm separately. The movement helps in losing arm fat as well.

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Instructions:

  • Keep the distance between your feet equivalent to your shoulder-width.
  • With the weight of a kettlebell resting on the top of your forearm, hold it in front of your shoulder, with your palm facing in and elbow tucked.
  • Put your arm in a forward facing position, and press it straight up.
  • Perform the same number of reps on both arms.

Takeaway

By performing a shoulder press, you can tighten up the shoulder area and gain more muscle. To rapidly and completely get rid of flabby arms, maintain proper form, and do additional exercises.

The overhead press is an excellent exercise for both upper body and shoulder training. It burns extra fat in places like the arms and shoulders while concentrating on the muscles in the upper body.

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