Fysiqal

Vertical Push · Intermediate

Arnold Press

Compound vertical push exercise using dumbbell.
Arnold Press demonstration (no audio).
Movement pattern
Vertical Push
Difficulty
Intermediate
Equipment
Dumbbell
Mechanics
Compound
Sides
Bilateral
Main plane
Sagittal

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How to do the Arnold Press

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Dumbbells held in front of your shoulders, palms facing your body.

  1. As you press the dumbbells overhead, rotate your palms outward so they face forward by the top of the press -- the rotation and the press happen together, not one after the other.

  2. Reverse the rotation as you lower back to the starting position, palms facing you again at the bottom.

  3. Keep the upper-arm angle at roughly 90 degrees or higher at the bottom, same caution as any overhead press.

Common mistakes

  • Rotating the palms before or after the press instead of blending the rotation smoothly through the whole range.

  • Using too much weight to control the rotation cleanly, which turns a controlled rotation into a jerky, momentum-driven one.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Shoulder flexionprimary action

    Anterior deltoid (prime mover, high emphasis); Medial deltoid (synergist, moderate emphasis); Pectoralis major (synergist, low emphasis); Supraspinatus (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Shoulder external rotationsecondary action

    Infraspinatus (prime mover, moderate emphasis); Teres minor (synergist, moderate emphasis); Posterior deltoid (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Elbow extensionsecondary action

    Triceps brachii (prime mover, moderate emphasis)

  • Scapula elevationsecondary action

    Trapezius (synergist, moderate emphasis); Serratus anterior (synergist, moderate emphasis)

  • Scapula upward rotationsecondary action

    Serratus anterior (prime mover, moderate emphasis); Trapezius (synergist, low emphasis); Trapezius (synergist, low emphasis)

Related exercises

All vertical push exercises →

From the Knowledge Library

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.