Reps

Description

The shoulder press is a classic deltoid-building exercise that is common in gyms around the world. The standing press is worthy of being the main movement in a muscle-building shoulder workout, but is also a great strength movement.

Pick up the dumbbells using a neutral grip (palms facing in).
Bring the dumbbells up to shoulder height by bending at the elbow.
Once the dumbbells are in place, rotate your palms so they are facing forward. This is your starting position.
Take a deep breath then press the dumbbells overhead by extending the elbows and contracting the deltoids.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position (the arms should be roughly 90 degrees or slightly lower depending upon limb lengths).
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Seated Dumbbell Press Tips

Keep your back flat throughout the duration of the exercise.
Don’t allow the head to jut forward excessively.
Drive the bicep to the ear and exhale as you press.
If you sense any pressure in your neck or traps during the movement, look to address a lack of thoracic spine extension or shoulder flexion.
Keeping the elbows slightly bent at the top and not locking out entirely will help to keep tension on the shoulders.
If you can’t lock out the elbows overhead than it may indicate a lack of shoulder mobility due to poor scapular upward rotation.

Reps

Description

The single-arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension is a popular exercise targeting the triceps one side at a time. It targets all three heads of the triceps, but when performed with the arm overhead, it can be especially effective at building the long head of the triceps. This exercise is usually performed for moderate to high reps, at least 8-12 reps per set, as part of the upper-body or arm-focused portion of a workout.

Get into the starting position for the exercise by grasping a dumbbell in your hand and holding it above your head with your palm facing forward.
Your elbow should be slightly bent. You can use your right arm to stabilize your body.
Begin the movement by bending at the elbow only and slowly lowering the dumbbell behind your neck.
Once the dumbbell is down as far as possible, slowly raise it back to the starting position.
Do not lock your elbow out at the top of the movement, and then repeat for desired reps.
Repeat on the other side.

Exercise Tips

Use a long range of motion and do not lock your elbow out at the top of the movement.
Keep your upper arms as still as possible, allowing your forearms to drive the movement.

Reps

Description

The alternating dumbbell front raise is a single-joint exercise targeting the shoulder muscles, particularly the front or anterior deltoids. Performing the movement one shoulder at a time gives a momentary rest to each side while the other is working, potentially allowing you to do more reps during each set. It is usually performed for moderate to high reps, at least 8-12 reps per set, as part of an upper-body or shoulder-focused workout.

Choose a pair of dumbbells and sit up straight.
Hold the dumbbells with your arms fully extended down by your thighs in front of you body. Use an overhand grip (palms facing your body). This is the starting position.
Begin by raising your left arm straight out in front of you body with your palm facing the floor. Keep a slight bend in your elbow.
Moving only at the shoulder and keeping your body as still as possible, continue raising the dumbbell out in front of you until your arm is just above parallel to the floor.
Pause for a brief moment at the top of the movement, and slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Immediately repeat this movement using your right arm. This is one rep.
Repeat for desired reps.

Exercise Tips:

Practice good form with a lightweight.
Focus on moving only at the shoulders. The rest of your body should be kept as still as possible and your arms should hold the same form throughout the movement.
Use slow and controlled movement - avoid "swinging" the weights up and dropping them quickly.

Reps

Description

The dumbbell lateral raise is an upper body isolation exercise for building shoulder strength and muscle. It's a staple strength training move and is a great option for accessory work on upper body training days. This exercise particularly focuses on the lateral or medial head of the deltoid, making them appear wider and more developed.

Grab a set of dumbbells and sit straight up with the dumbbells at your sides.
Your palms should be facing your body. You should be holding the dumbbells slightly off your body, as this keeps the tension on the side delts. This is your starting position for the exercise.
To execute, slowly raise the dumbbells up to around shoulder height. It's important that you do not let your wrists go above your elbows while raising the weight, as this will take the work off the side delts and put it on the front delts.
Pause at the top of the movement, and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Do not let the dumbbells touch your body, and then raise them for the next rep.

​Lateral Raise Tips:

The dumbbell lateral raise is one of those exercises that so many people do incorrectly. First, this is an isolation exercise, so you should be focusing on stretch and muscle contraction, not using heavy weights.
Second, you MUST keep your rep timing slow and controlled. So many people use momentum to swing heavy weights up, and this is not going to get you the best results from the dumbbell lateral raise.
Third, it very important that your elbows stay above your wrists. If your wrists come up too far, the focus comes off your side delts and onto your front delts. A good trick to ensure this does not happen is to tilt the dumbbells down as if you were pouring a jug of water as you raise them up. This makes it very hard to raise the wrists higher than the elbows.
And finally, keep the side delts under stress for the whole set by not allowing the dumbbells to touch your body or "hang" at the bottom of the movement.

Reps

Description

The single-arm triceps kick-back is an isolation move from a bent-over position used to increase size and strength of the triceps. If the Triceps are weakened try the straight arm pull where they will be worked isometrically.

Using a neutral grip, pick up the dumbbell with your left hand. Keep your back straight and bend forward, if needed use the opposite hand as support.
Tuck your left upper arm close to your torso and bend at the elbow, forming a 90-degree angle with your upper arm and forearm. This is the starting position.
Moving only at the elbow, raise the dumbbell behind you until your arm is fully extended.
Pause, and then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Repeat this movement for desired reps and then repeat using your right arm.

Exercise Tips

Focus on moving the weight with your triceps, keeping control of the weight as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Keep your body as still as possible, moving only your forearms.

Reps

Description

Pick up the dumbbells using a neutral grip (palms facing in).
Bring the dumbbells up to shoulder height by bending at the elbow.
Once the dumbbells are in place, rotate your palms so they are facing you.
Take a deep breath then press the dumbbells overhead by extending the elbows and contracting the deltoids.
As you press, rotate the dumbbells until your palms are facing forward.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position (the arms should be roughly 90 degrees or slightly lower depending upon limb lengths).
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Arnold Press Tips

Keep your back flat throughout the duration of the exercise.
Don’t allow the head to jut forward excessively.
Drive the bicep to the ear and exhale as you press.
If you sense any pressure in your neck or traps during the movement, look to address a lack of thoracic spine extension or shoulder flexion.
Keeping the elbows slightly bent at the top and not locking out entirely will help to keep tension on the shoulders.
If you can’t lock out the elbows overhead than it may indicate a lack of shoulder mobility due to poor scapular upward rotation.