How to Do Dumbbell Overhead Press

Form Cues

1. 1

   Keep core braced and avoid arching your lower back

2. 2

   Press directly overhead, not forward

3. 3

   Start with dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows slightly in front of the bar path

4. 4

   Finish with the dumbbells stacked directly over your ears, not out in front

Common Mistakes

• ●

  Excessive lower back arch to compensate for tight shoulders — compresses the spine and reduces shoulder range

• ●

  Pressing the dumbbells forward instead of straight up — keep the path vertical over your shoulders

• ●

  Flaring elbows out to the sides at the bottom instead of keeping them roughly under the wrists