Dumbbell Push Press
An overhead dumbbell press driven by a short leg dip, letting the shoulders finish a load they could not strict press.
How to do it
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and bring a dumbbell to each shoulder with the palms facing in.
- Brace your abdominals and glutes and keep the torso vertical.
- Dip a few inches by bending the knees while keeping the chest tall and the elbows up.
- Reverse the dip explosively by extending the ankles, knees and hips.
- Let the leg drive carry the dumbbells up, then finish the lockout with the shoulders and triceps.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders and absorb the load with soft knees.
Key technique cue
Dip short and finish the leg drive before the arms start pressing.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Dipping too deep, which turns the movement into a squat and kills the elastic drive.
- ✕ Leaning the torso forward in the dip, which sends the dumbbells out in front of the shoulders.
- ✕ Starting the press with the arms before the legs finish, which wastes the leg drive entirely.
- ✕ Catching the dumbbells on locked legs, which sends the impact straight into the knees and spine.
Benefits
- ✓ Allows heavier overhead loading than a strict press by adding leg drive.
- ✓ Trains the transfer of force from the lower body through a braced trunk to the arms.
- ✓ Loads each side independently, so side to side differences cannot hide.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Dumbbell Push Press
- Kettlebell Push Press
About the exercise
The dumbbell push press starts with the weights racked at the shoulders and adds a short, sharp dip and drive from the legs. That leg extension accelerates the dumbbells past the hardest part of the press, after which the deltoids and triceps finish the lockout overhead. Because each arm is loaded independently, the trunk has to resist side to side movement as well as the extension the overhead load creates. The dip is shallow and vertical; turning it into a squat removes the elastic drive the movement depends on.
Updated
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