The Dumbbell Shoulder press is a variation of the standard military press that puts more focus on the stabilizer muscles. It's good to alternate between the barbell and dumbbell versions of this exercise.

Muscle group: Shoulder

Steps

Start the dumbbell shoulder press by sitting on a bench with your abs drawn in and a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should be facing forward and your hands should be at the height of your shoulders. Extend your arms to raise the dumbbells until your arms are straight and the inside edge of each dumbbell is above your head. You can touch the dumbbells together if this is comfortable.

Hold this position for a moment, then lower and bend your arms slowly. Continue until your hands are once again at about shoulder level.

Tips

Make sure you don't lock your elbows in the top position of the shoulder press. Locking your elbows, especially when you're using heavier weights, can cause very serious injuries.

You can also do this exercise on an exercise ball.

All exercises