Standing Dumbbell Military Press: Great Compound Shoulder Exercise

Standing Dumbbell Military Press is an iconic resistance training press to activate your shoulders while maintaining symmetry. Unlike using a barbell, one arm can not compensate for the other with the dumbbell press. Here is a guide to help you ensure you have great technique.

Standing Dumbbell Military Press Summary

  • Primary Muscles: Deltoid – Anterior
  • Secondary Muscles: Deltoid – Lateral, Obliques, Pectoralis Major – Clavicular, Psoas major, and Serratus Anterior, Trapezius – Lower, Trapezius – Middle, and Triceps Brachii
  • Equipment: Dumbbells
  • Mechanics Type: Compound
  • Force: Push
  • Utility: Basic or Auxiliary

Standing Dumbbell Military Press Instructions

  • Get a hold of your dumbbells and stand with a strong base.
  • Raise your dumbbells up to your shoulders with your elbows pointing out to the side.
  • Now press your dumbbells over your head, maintaining your back straight.
  • Next lower your dumbbells back down to your starting position just above your shoulders.
  • Continue to repeat the press until your desired reps are complete.
Graphic image of a fit man performing alternate cable triceps extensions.

Video Tutorial

Dumbbell Military Press - Fitness Gym Training

Standing Dumbbell Military Press Muscles

Target (Agonist)

  • Deltoid, Anterior

Synergists

  • Deltoid – Lateral
  • Obliques
  • Pectoralis Major – Clavicular
  • Psoas major
  • Serratus Anterior
  • Trapezius – Lower
  • Trapezius – Middle
  • Triceps Brachii

Dynamic Stabilizers

  • Biceps Brachii
  • Triceps – Long Head

Stabilizers

  • Iliocastalis lumborum
  • Iliocastalis thoracis

Antagonist Stabilizers

  • None
Image of the skeletal muscular system with the muscles used in the standing dumbbell military press exercise highlighted in red and the rest in blue.

Benefits of Standing Dumbbell Military Press

The Standing Dumbbell Military Press is a great exercise for targeting the anterior deltoid muscle. It works to build strength and increase the size of the muscle in the shoulder region. This exercise helps to improve posture and stability, which can help to reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, it helps to improve shoulder mobility, which is important for overall health and fitness. The Standing Dumbbell Military Press can help to improve muscle control and coordination, as well as enhance coordination between the upper body and lower body muscles.

Tips for Performing Standing Dumbbell Military Press

If you want to obtain the optimum outcomes, you need to focus on these simple tips. Similarly, whenever you need to protect yourself against an injury, you should adopt these tips.

  • Observe Your Technique by Make Use Of A Mirror If Available. You may believe a little vain looking in a mirror when you are working out, but you are not adoring yourself, you are insuring your technique is strong.
  • Have A Plan When You Get To The Gym. You should arrange your training session before you go when you have a goal. In case your objective is simply to maintain muscle mass, you should continue to have a plan when you step foot in the gym.
  • decrease muscle soreness by executing a couple of minutes of aerobic directed at your fatigued muscle groups to conclude your workouts. This aerobic exercise is going to be flushing out much of the lactic acid. In turn you are going to be enhancing your recovery.
  • Change Your Training Sets Periodically With Varied Weight And Repetition Combinations. Like 3 set of 8-12 for a few weeks then 5 sets of 5 reps for a week or two.

Benefits and Tips Video

How to: Standing DB Shoulder Press for Physique Development

Frequent Mistakes To Avoid

You ought to stay clear of these fairly typical mistakes to have good technique and muscle growth. As well, when you refrain from these errors you will prevent the probability of getting injuries.

  • You’ll Do Better To Not Execute The Exact Same Exercises Each And Every Time. When you conduct the same lift every work out ones muscular tissues is likely to be taught to perform that individual exercise very well, but you will peak faster.
  • Stop Cheating. In most the time, cheating is employing momentum instead of the strength of your primary muscle tissue. Sometimes, some cheating on your last rep can be great to overload your muscle, although not for more than a couple of reps.
  • Try Not To Make It To Easy. Your primary way to get stronger will be to challenge yourself.

Variations and Complementary Exercises

In addition to the Standing Dumbbell Military Press, there are several variations, complementary, and alternative exercises that you can do to target the same muscle groups. These exercises are great for mix ups or for when you need a break from the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. Here are some options to consider:

Alternate Shoulder Press With Bands

Graphic image of Alternate Shoulder Press With Bands.

Alternate Shoulder Press With Bands is a great complementary or alternative exercise for the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It targets the same muscles, but does so in a different way. With this exercise, you use resistance bands instead of dumbbells, and you press the bands up and out to the sides of your body, alternating arms. This allows you to target your shoulders and upper back more effectively than the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. The resistance provided by the bands also makes it easier to keep your form consistent and build up strength in the muscles.

Alternating Dumbbell Overhead Press

Graphic image of Alternating Dumbbell Overhead Press.

Alternating Dumbbell Overhead Press is an excellent alternative to Standing Dumbbell Military Press. This exercise works the same muscles and can be done in a standing position, but it requires more coordination. In this exercise, you lift one dumbbell overhead with both hands, lower it back to shoulder level, and then switch arms and repeat. This exercise is great for developing strength and stability in the shoulders, triceps, and core. It is a great complement to the Standing Dumbbell Military Press because it works the same muscles but adds in an extra challenge of coordination.

Barbell Seated Behind Head Military Press

Graphic image of Barbell Seated Behind Head Military Press.

The Barbell Seated Behind Head Military Press is an excellent complementary or alternative exercise to the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It involves a seated position with the back supported and the weight held behind the head, bringing a greater emphasis on the shoulders and triceps. This exercise is great for those who may have difficulty standing or balancing while performing the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It also helps to increase overall stability and strength in the shoulders and triceps, as well as improve posture.

Check Out These Top Dumbbell Exercises

Barbell Seated Bradford Rocky Press

Graphic image of Barbell Seated Bradford Rocky Press.

The Barbell Seated Bradford Rocky Press is an excellent alternative or complementary exercise for the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It requires less balance and stabilization than the Standing Dumbbell Military Press, allowing for greater focus on the shoulder muscles. Furthermore, it allows for heavier weights to be used due to the seated position, enabling greater development of the shoulder muscles. This exercise is excellent for building shoulder strength, stability, and size.

Barbell Seated Shoulder Press

Graphic image of Barbell Seated Shoulder Press.

The barbell seated shoulder press is an excellent complement or alternative to the standing dumbbell military press. This exercise works the shoulder muscles by pushing a barbell up and away from the body while seated. It is particularly beneficial for those who have difficulty with shoulder mobility and stability due to injury or age-related issues. Additionally, it helps to strengthen the core as the user must remain upright throughout the entire movement. This exercise can be used in place of the standing dumbbell military press for those who are unable to perform that exercise properly, or for those who need an additional challenge.

Barbell Standing Bradford Press

Graphic image of Barbell Standing Bradford Press.

The Barbell Standing Bradford Press is a great alternative or complementary exercise to the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It works the same muscles but adds a different level of intensity and complexity to the movement. The Barbell Standing Bradford Press requires the user to extend their arms in a straight line while holding the barbell and pressing it overhead with both arms at the same time. This exercise also works the stabilizing muscles of the core, which makes it a great choice for building overall upper body strength. It is important to ensure proper form during this exercise to avoid injury.

Opposing Complementary Exercises

To further enhance the results of the Standing Dumbbell Military Press, it is important to work opposing muscle groups as well. The following exercises target the opposing muscles and can be done in conjunction with the Standing Dumbbell Military Press:

Wide Grip Rear Lat Pulldown

Graphic image of Wide Grip Rear Lat Pulldown.

The Wide Grip Rear Lat Pulldown exercise is a great complement to the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It targets the back muscles, specifically the lats and rear deltoids, while the Standing Dumbbell Military Press works the front deltoids and triceps. Both exercises are important for building a strong upper body and overall physique. The Wide Grip Rear Lat Pulldown works the opposing muscle group to the Standing Dumbbell Military Press, providing balance to the body and helping to ensure that the muscles are developed equally. This exercise can help increase back strength, improve posture, and reduce strain on the shoulder joints.

Assisted Close Grip Underhand Chin Up

Graphic image of Assisted Close Grip Underhand Chin Up.

The Assisted Close Grip Underhand Chin Up is a great exercise to complement the Standing Dumbbell Military Press. It works the opposing muscle groups, such as the biceps and upper back muscles, to help create a balanced upper body workout. The assisted chin up allows you to pull your bodyweight up against gravity, which helps to strengthen your biceps and upper back muscles. This exercise also helps to improve overall stability and posture, while allowing you to control the range of motion to suit your individual needs. By doing both exercises together, you can create a complete upper body workout that targets all the major muscle groups in your upper body.

Barbell Bent Arm Pullover

Graphic image of Barbell Bent Arm Pullover.

The barbell bent arm pullover is an effective exercise for targeting the muscles in the back of the arms and shoulders. This exercise is complementary to the standing dumbbell military press because it works the opposing muscle group – the chest and front of the shoulders. When combined together, these two exercises provide a comprehensive workout for both the anterior and posterior shoulder muscles, helping to create balanced muscular development and strength.

Recap

You ought to now have the ability to complete standing dumbbell military press perfectly. Right now your following level is to utilize standing dumbbell military press as an element of a recurring strength training system to build your Deltoid.

References: Wikipedia | ExRx.net | PubMed.gov

Pin image for standing dumbbell military press post. With an image of a man performing the exercise on Top and a graphic of the exercise on the Bottom.

Checkout These Other Strength Training Posts

Man Performing Dumbbell Clean

Dumbbell Clean: Great Exercise to Build Your Support Muscles

Looking to add an explosive movement to your workout routine? Look no further than the dumbbell clean! This full-body exercise targets multiple muscle groups and can be modified for any fitness level. Check out our complete guide to the dumbbell clean and start incorporating it into your next workout today....

Smith Machine Good Morning Off Pins: Your Detailed Tutorial

"Want to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings? Try the Smith Good Morning exercise! Learn proper form and why it's so effective in this blog post. Perfect for beginners. Don't miss out! #smithgoodmorning #fitnesstips" Click to read more!
Man Performing Dumbbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl

Dumbbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl: Isolate Your Biceps and Grip

Build biceps and improve arm strength with the dumbbell reverse grip preacher curl. This exercise targets the brachialis muscle, giving you full and defined arms. Check out our latest blog post for the complete guide on how to properly execute this exercise. Don't miss out on the gains, read now!...

Join Us On Social Media


Copyright © 2008 - | Privacy | MuscleMagFitness Powered By | Critical Vitality