Shoulder Press: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The shoulder press works your shoulders as the main mover, pressing the dumbbells straight overhead from shoulder height. Your triceps straighten your elbows to lock out each rep, making this seated or standing dumbbell press a core exercise for building overhead pressing strength and shoulder size.
- Primary muscle:
- Shoulders
- Secondary muscles:
- Triceps
Muscles worked
Your shoulders (front and side delts) are the primary mover in the shoulder press, driving the dumbbells up and overhead from shoulder height.
Your triceps finish each rep, straightening your elbows to lock the dumbbells out overhead. They work hardest in the top half of the press.
Log Shoulder Press in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
- While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a military press bench or utility bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs.
- Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position.
- Make sure to rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position.
- Now, exhale and push the dumbbells upward until they touch at the top.
- Then, after a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Form tips
- Sit or stand tall with your core braced before you press.
- Start with the dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
- Press the dumbbells up and slightly in until they nearly touch overhead, without shrugging your shoulders up around your ears.
- Lower under control back to shoulder height on every rep.
- If pressing overhead bothers your shoulders, try a lighter neutral grip or a smaller range of motion.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Dumbbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the shoulder press and the overhead press?
They train the same muscles: shoulders and triceps. "Shoulder press" often refers to a seated dumbbell version, while the overhead press usually means a standing barbell press. Both build overhead pressing strength.
Is the shoulder press good for building bigger shoulders?
Yes. Pressing overhead is one of the most direct ways to load your shoulders and triceps together, and it pairs well with a lateral raise for the sides of your shoulders.
More shoulders exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
