Standing Dumbbell Press

What it is

This compound exercise primarily strengthens your shoulders, with significant secondary engagement of your triceps. You perform it standing, pressing a dumbbell in each hand from shoulder height directly overhead. It’s a foundational pushing movement that builds upper body strength and stability.

Technique tips

• Maintain a stable, shoulder-width stance throughout the movement.
• Brace your core firmly to prevent any leaning or arching of your back.
• Keep your elbows slightly forward and under the dumbbells at the start.
• Press the dumbbells directly overhead until your arms are fully extended.
• Control the descent of the dumbbells back to your starting position.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.