Seated dumbbell press: how to do it
Main muscles: Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid). Helpers: Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Dumbbells
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Shoulders
How to do it
- Back against the pad, dumbbells at ear level, elbows slightly in front of the torso.
- Press up without banging the dumbbells together.
- Lower until the elbow is at 90°, no further.
Common mistakes
Arching the lower back, elbows flared straight out.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
- Secondary
- Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Full body, 2 days3 × 8–12
- Full body, 3 days3 × 8–12
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days3 × 8–12
- Upper/lower, 4 days3 × 8–12
- 5-day split3 × 8–12
- Dumbbells only, 4 days3 × 8–12
- Lower body focus, 3 days3 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
Arnold press
Dumbbells · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Overhead press
Barbell · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Dumbbell lateral raise
Dumbbells · Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Close-grip push-ups
Bodyweight · Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
Bench dips
Bodyweight · Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
Incline dumbbell press
Dumbbells · Upper chest, Front delts (anterior deltoid)
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
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