- EquipmentDumbbell
- PatternPush
- Reps5 to 12 reps
- Joint loadShoulder
- One side at a time
Stand with a dumbbell at one shoulder, palm facing in or forward, and your free hand on your hip or out to the side.
First cueDo not lean away from the weight.
How to do the Single-Arm Overhead Press
Set up. Stand with a dumbbell at one shoulder, palm facing in or forward, and your free hand on your hip or out to the side.
- Brace your stomach and press the dumbbell straight up.
- Finish with the arm straight overhead.
- Lower under control.
- Switch sides after the set.
Form cues
- Do not lean away from the weight.
- Keep your glutes tight.
- Keep the wrist straight.
Common mistakes
- Leaning sideways to finish.
- Arching the back.
Muscles worked
Main target: Front delts. The front head of the deltoid caps the front of the shoulder. It raises the arm forward and helps in every press, which is why it is often trained more than its two neighbours.
On the way: Side delts, Triceps and Abs.
Its other side: Upper back, Lats and Rear delts, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Rear delts, in the front and rear shoulder pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Single-Arm Overhead Press, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Rear Delt Fly Superset partner: it trains the other side of the front and rear shoulder pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Dumbbell Bench Press Same push session: it trains the chest.
- Dumbbell Shrug Often left out: it trains the traps, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Single-Arm Overhead Press first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Single-Arm Overhead Press 3 × 5 to 12 reps
- Rear Delt Fly 3 × 12 to 20 reps
- Dumbbell Bench Press 3 × 6 to 15 reps
- Dumbbell Shrug 3 × 8 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Pike Push-Up
Bodyweight
Gym or cable swap
Machine Shoulder Press
Machine
Less load on the shoulder
Landmine Press
The Single-Arm Overhead Press loads the shoulder by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Dumbbell Shoulder Press.
Other variations of the Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Arnold Press.
Do before it: Wall Slide (shoulder blades), Dead Bug (bracing), Shoulder Dislocate (shoulder range) and Thoracic Rotation (upper back range).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Single-Arm Overhead Press is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Single-Arm Overhead Press?
Set up: Stand with a dumbbell at one shoulder, palm facing in or forward, and your free hand on your hip or out to the side. Steps: 1. Brace your stomach and press the dumbbell straight up. 2. Finish with the arm straight overhead. 3. Lower under control. 4. Switch sides after the set. Form cues: Do not lean away from the weight. Keep your glutes tight. Keep the wrist straight. Common mistakes: Leaning sideways to finish. Arching the back.
What muscles does the Single-Arm Overhead Press work?
It trains the front delts as its main target and works the side delts, triceps and abs on the way.
What can I do instead of the Single-Arm Overhead Press?
At home: Pike Push-Up. In a gym: Machine Shoulder Press. With less load on the shoulder: Landmine Press. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Single-Arm Overhead Press with?
Good partners in the same workout are Rear Delt Fly, Dumbbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Shrug.
How heavy should the Single-Arm Overhead Press be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.