About The Arnold Shoulder Press

Current governor and six time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzengger, used this variation of the shoulder press while training for his bodybuilding competitions – which is why it has been dubbed the “Arnold shoulder press”. The variation – which involves alternating the arm position to alternate muscular recruitment within the shoulder – is quite advanced and should be performed using lighter weights than you would normally use for a typical shoulder press.

Arnold Shoulder Press Video

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Arnold Shoulder Press Steps

1. Select appropriately weighted dumbbells and sit on an upright bench.
2. Kick the dumbbells up to a position that has the palms facing the shoulders.
3. Exhale, drive the weights overhead and gradually rotate the palms away from the body throughout the motion.
4. Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower the weights back down while gradually turning the palms back inwards.
5. Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.

Variations

Performing the Arnold shoulder press while in a standing position will draw additional recruitment from the core muscles to maintain the upright position.