Standing Overhead Press
Gym · Shoulders, Triceps, Core · also called Military press
How to do it
- Grip the bar just outside shoulder width, resting it on your front shoulders
- Keep your elbows just in front of the bar, wrists stacked over your forearms
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so the lower back stays neutral
- Move your head back slightly so the bar travels straight up past your face
- As the bar clears your head, push your head and chest through underneath
- Lock out with the bar over your ears, not out in front
Common mistakes
- Dipping the knees to drive the bar up — on a strict press the legs stay still
- Pressing the bar around your head instead of over it — move your head back a little
- Leaning back and arching the lower back to finish — brace harder and lighten the bar
The standing overhead press builds the shoulders and triceps while the abs and glutes hold the body still, which is why it remains a core barbell lift rather than an accessory. It needs a barbell and a rack, and it suits lifters who already press comfortably overhead. Three to five sets of 5 to 8 reps suit strength work. Anyone who cannot raise their arms fully overhead without the lower back arching is better served by dumbbell pressing for now.
No gym access? Try Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Pike Push-Up, Arnold Press.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell · Shoulders, Triceps
How to do it
- Sit or stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height
- Turn your palms forward, or slightly inward if that feels kinder on the shoulders
- Keep your elbows slightly in front of your body, not flared straight out
- Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so the lower back stays flat
- Press to full lockout without clashing the dumbbells overhead
- Lower under control until your upper arms are level with the floor
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to finish the rep — brace harder or drop the weight
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides — keep them slightly forward
- Stopping the descent high — lower until your upper arms are level with the floor
Dumbbell shoulder pressing trains each side independently, so a weaker arm cannot hide behind a stronger one, and the free path lets the shoulders find a comfortable line. Only a pair of dumbbells is needed, which makes it the most practical overhead press for home training and a sound starting point for beginners. Three sets of 8 to 12 reps suit size-focused work. Keeping the ribs down matters, since heavy overhead work is where lower backs tend to arch.
No dumbbells? Try Standing Overhead Press, Arnold Press, Pike Push-Up.
Pike Push-Up
Bodyweight · Shoulders, Triceps
How to do it
- Start in a push-up position, then walk your feet in and lift your hips high
- Form an upside-down V, hands set slightly wider than your shoulders
- Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head towards the floor
- Keep your elbows tracking forward and slightly out, not flared straight sideways
- Stop just short of the floor, then press back until your arms lock
- Raise your feet onto a step once the floor version feels easy
Common mistakes
- Hips sinking so it becomes a normal push-up — keep them stacked high
- Cutting the range short — lower until your head is a few centimetres from the floor
- Craning the neck forward — keep your head in line and let the arms work
The pike push-up turns the body into the load for a vertical press, so shoulders and triceps can be trained with no equipment at all. It sits above the standard push-up in difficulty and suits someone who can already manage sets of ten push-ups. Feet closer with hips higher makes it harder; feet on a step harder still. Three sets of 6 to 12 reps work well. Wrists and shoulders carry real load here, so building up gradually is wise.
Other ways to train this: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Standing Overhead Press, Arnold Press.
Arnold Press
Dumbbell · Shoulders
How to do it
- Sit tall on an upright bench with a dumbbell in each hand
- Start at chest height with palms facing you, elbows tucked in front
- Brace your abs and keep your ribs down, back against the pad
- Rotate your palms outwards as you press, finishing with palms facing forward
- Press to lockout overhead without clashing the dumbbells together
- Reverse the rotation slowly on the way down, back to palms facing you
Common mistakes
- Going too heavy and losing the rotation — the turn is the whole point
- Rushing the twist so the shoulders roll under load — keep it slow and deliberate
- Arching the lower back at lockout — brace the abs and use less weight
The Arnold press adds a rotation to a dumbbell shoulder press, so the front of the shoulder works through a longer range and spends more time under tension. It needs only dumbbells, ideally with a bench to sit against. Two or three sets of 8 to 12 controlled reps are plenty. Because the twist loads the shoulder while it turns, it suits lifters with some pressing experience and is best done lighter than a standard press.
No dumbbells? Try Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Standing Overhead Press, Pike Push-Up.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Dumbbell · Side Delts · also called Side raise
How to do it
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides
- Go light — pick a weight you can raise smoothly for 15 reps
- Keep a slight, fixed bend in each elbow throughout the set
- Lead with the elbow — keep it slightly above your hand
- Raise out to the side until your arm reaches shoulder height
- Lower over about three seconds instead of letting the weight drop
Common mistakes
- Swinging the weight up with the whole body — the most common error here; drop the load and slow down
- Shrugging the shoulders towards the ears — keep them down and lead with the elbow
- Raising well above shoulder height — stop level, where the side of the shoulder works hardest
The lateral raise trains the side of the shoulder, a region that pressing works only indirectly, which is why most upper-body programmes include it. It needs nothing more than a pair of light dumbbells, so beginners and experienced lifters can both use it. Two to four sets of 12 to 20 slow reps suits it well; load matters far less here than control, so add reps before adding weight.
No dumbbells? Try Cable Lateral Raise, Band Lateral Raise.
Cable Lateral Raise
Gym · Side Delts
How to do it
- Set the pulley at its lowest point and stand side-on to it
- Take the handle in the hand furthest from the machine
- Hold the frame with your free hand to stay steady
- Lead with the elbow and raise until your arm reaches shoulder height
- Keep the cable under tension — it should never go slack
- Lower slowly and stop just short of your side each rep
Common mistakes
- Using momentum from the hips — reduce the weight and keep the torso still
- Letting the arm drop so the weight stack rests between reps — stop just short of your side
- Swaying away from the machine to heave the weight up — steady yourself on the frame and go lighter
A cable keeps the side of the shoulder loaded from the very bottom of the rep, where a dumbbell feels almost weightless, and that is its main advantage. It needs a low pulley, so it belongs to a gym session rather than a home one, though it is simple enough for a beginner. Two to four sets of 12 to 20 reps per arm works well, placed after the heavy pressing rather than before it.
No gym access? Try Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Band Lateral Raise.
Band Lateral Raise
Bodyweight · Side Delts
How to do it
- Stand on the middle of the band with both feet, one end in each hand
- Stand tall, abs braced, with a slight fixed bend in both elbows
- Raise your arms out to the sides, leading with the elbows
- Stop when your arms reach shoulder height, no higher
- Pause briefly at the top, where the stretched band pulls hardest
- Resist the band on the way down instead of letting it snap back
Common mistakes
- Using a band so strong that the form breaks down — step down to a lighter one
- Leaning back to finish the rep — brace the abs and stop where you can stay upright
- Letting the arms drop quickly so the band does the work — control the descent
A band is the cheapest way to train the side of the shoulder at home, and resistance rises as the band stretches, so the top of the rep is the hardest part. Anyone can start here and a light band is enough. Two to four sets taken close to failure, roughly 15 to 25 reps, works well; progress by standing wider to shorten the band, or by moving to a thicker one.
Other ways to train this: Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Cable Lateral Raise.
Front Raise
Bodyweight · Front Delts · also called Plate or bottle raise
How to do it
- Hold a plate, or a filled water bottle, with both hands at your thighs
- Stand tall, feet hip-width, abs braced and glutes squeezed
- Raise the weight straight out in front until it reaches shoulder height
- Keep the arms almost straight — a small fixed elbow bend only
- Stop there — lifting higher takes the load off the front of the shoulder
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower over about three seconds
Common mistakes
- Swinging from the lower back to start the rep — brace hard and lift slowly
- Going too heavy, so the shoulders shrug up towards the ears — pick a lighter object
- Piling on sets when pressing already trains the front of the shoulder — one or two is plenty
The front raise trains the front of the shoulder directly. Pressing already works that area hard, so it is a small accessory rather than a main lift, useful when the front of the shoulder lags behind. Any weighted object will do — a plate, a bottle, a loaded bag — so it suits a beginner training at home as much as a gym regular. One to three sets of 10 to 15 controlled reps at the end of a session is enough.
Other ways to train this: Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Band Lateral Raise.