DB Shoulder Press

The Dumbbell shoulder press is far superior than using a straight bar. Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion and less stress on the joints. Scott H. Mendelson is using 80 pound dumbbells for the first 8 reps of the video demonstration with a controlled repetition speed of three seconds to lower, one second pause on bottom and approximately one second to lift the weight.

The video clip is thirty three seconds, but the clip starts after a couple of reps has already been completed. Therefore the total set length was over forty seconds which feels like an eternity when using a heavy weight load. A fast twitch dominant client will gain muscle and lose fat at accelerated rates when sets lasts from forty to fifty seconds. Manipulating the time under tension is one of many factors monitored during the personalized training and nutrition program design process.

The dumbbell should touch the top of the shoulder in the bottom position to achieve a full range of motion. Do not shorten the range of motion to accommodate a higher weight load.

Anyone who has pain when doing a shoulder press should immediately discontinue and focus on fixing muscle imbalances such as weakness in the posterior shoulder muscles. Other injuries can cause pain during a shoulder press and should also be treated before resuming the shoulder press exercise.