How many sets and reps of the dumbbell push press should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three sets of 6 to 8 reps is a good starting point, using dumbbells you can strict press for at least 5 clean reps. Rest 90 seconds so every set starts with fresh legs. Add a rep to each set before you move up a bell size, since the next pair of dumbbells is usually 5 pounds heavier in each hand and that is a large step overhead.

What can I do instead of the dumbbell push press if I have no dumbbells?

A barbell push press runs the same pattern and lets you add weight in small steps, and a single kettlebell push press trains one side at a time. At home, a backpack loaded with books and held at chest height with both hands keeps the dip and drive intact. A pike push-up builds overhead pressing strength but none of the leg drive, so treat it as a stopgap.

What is the dumbbell push press good for, and when should I skip it?

It is for overhead power and for adding load or volume to your pressing once a strict press stalls, which suits athletes and general strength work, and the neutral grip is kinder to shoulders than a barbell. Skip it if you cannot press the bells overhead without pain, if you are chasing shoulder size, since the leg drive takes tension off the delts, or on a day your legs are already fried, because the drive is what makes the lift work.

Intermediate

Dumbbell Push Press

The push press borrows the legs to launch the dumbbells past the hardest part of a strict press, so the shoulders and triceps finish a weight they could never grind out alone. It is a bridge between pure pressing strength and full ballistic overhead work, and it teaches the dip-drive timing you will need for jerks. Program it when you want overhead volume with more load or a touch of power.

Equipment: Dumbbell
Body part: Shoulder
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Browse by movement: Vertical Press

How to do it

1
Clean or curl two dumbbells to your shoulders with a neutral grip, elbows tucked under the bells.
2
Stand tall with feet hip-width, brace your trunk, and take a breath into the belly.
3
Dip straight down a few inches by bending the knees while keeping your torso vertical.
4
Reverse hard, driving through the legs to accelerate the dumbbells off the shoulders.
5
As the legs finish, press the bells the rest of the way to a locked-out overhead position.
6
Lower under control back to the shoulders and reset your breath before the next rep.

Tips

Keep the dip shallow and vertical; leaning forward sends the dumbbells out in front of you.
Let the legs do the launching and the arms only finish the lockout, not muscle the whole rep.
Finish with the bells stacked over your ears and the elbows fully locked before lowering.

Variations

Common mistakes

A slow, sinking dip lets the dumbbells settle back down onto your shoulders, so the drive has to restart dead weight; dip fast and reverse the instant you feel the bottom.
Pressing the bells apart into a wide Y overhead leaves the load outside the shoulder joints rather than on top of them, which is why the lockout wobbles on the last rep.
Both bells rarely leave the shoulders together: the weaker arm lags, finishes late and drifts forward. Punch both hands at the same instant off the leg drive.
Cleaning the dumbbells back up for every rep is a second lift you did not plan on; get them to the shoulders once and keep them there so the set trains the press.
On the way down the bells get dropped onto the collarbones instead of caught with soft knees and tight elbows, which jars the shoulders and ruins the rack for the next rep.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the dumbbell push press should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Three sets of 6 to 8 reps is a good starting point, using dumbbells you can strict press for at least 5 clean reps. Rest 90 seconds so every set starts with fresh legs. Add a rep to each set before you move up a bell size, since the next pair of dumbbells is usually 5 pounds heavier in each hand and that is a large step overhead.
What can I do instead of the dumbbell push press if I have no dumbbells?: A barbell push press runs the same pattern and lets you add weight in small steps, and a single kettlebell push press trains one side at a time. At home, a backpack loaded with books and held at chest height with both hands keeps the dip and drive intact. A pike push-up builds overhead pressing strength but none of the leg drive, so treat it as a stopgap.
What is the dumbbell push press good for, and when should I skip it?: It is for overhead power and for adding load or volume to your pressing once a strict press stalls, which suits athletes and general strength work, and the neutral grip is kinder to shoulders than a barbell. Skip it if you cannot press the bells overhead without pain, if you are chasing shoulder size, since the leg drive takes tension off the delts, or on a day your legs are already fried, because the drive is what makes the lift work.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Shoulder exercises