Arnold Press
These notes combine advice from 25 reviewed passages across 11 workouts.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”The Arnold Press is a dumbbell press that combines an upward press with coordinated hand rotation while the trunk stays upright and braced. Within this training approach, it is used as supporting strength work for handstand push-ups. [2] [12] [17]
The exact bottom cue varied. Some instructions began at chest height, while a later correction brought the dumbbells toward the shoulders at about neck or mouth height and warned against dropping them below the chest. [2] [6] [13]
Press and rotation
Section titled “Press and rotation”Press upward while rotating the hands, then reverse the rotation as the dumbbells descend. Start turning before the top. One correction began the rotation around the middle of the lift, while another spread it continuously through the path instead of making one abrupt turn. Complete the rotation with the palms facing forward. [2] [6] [8] [11] [19]
Range and control
Section titled “Range and control”Use a controlled tempo without momentum. Raise the dumbbells slowly, lower them even more slowly, exhale during the upward press, and avoid a long pause at the bottom. [7] [15]
Positions and exercise distinctions
Section titled “Positions and exercise distinctions”The Arnold Press can be performed standing or seated on a bench. Standing may be the better option when there is no back-supporting bench for the seated version. [3] [14] [16] [18]
Similar-looking exercises may use different paths. A separate shoulder press kept the dumbbells sideways without rotation, while a machine movement discussed alongside the Arnold Press was treated as a different exercise and compared more closely with a cable cross. [5] [10]
The Arnold label identifies the movement, but it was not treated as proof that Arnold Schwarzenegger created it. [4]
Programming
Section titled “Programming”Plan loads across the whole exercise sequence. When the Arnold Press is scheduled later, choose the weight for an earlier dumbbell movement with the planned Arnold Press load and the remaining work in mind. [1]
Progress Arnold Press work gradually rather than making an abrupt jump after earlier training. Maintain flexible arm movement as the workload increases. [20] [21]
Sources
Section titled “Sources”1. 2024-02-26, 3118.4-3140.8s
Workout: workout:2024-02-26
Passage: passage:2024-02-26:001020-001028
2. 2024-02-26, 3562.3-3583.6s
Workout: workout:2024-02-26
Passage: passage:2024-02-26:001198-001206
3. 2024-02-26, 3584.2-3589.5s
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Passage: passage:2024-02-26:001207-001208
4. 2024-02-28, 3020.3-3029.5s
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Passage: passage:2024-02-28:001030-001035
5. 2024-02-28, 3035.4-3052.9s
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Passage: passage:2024-02-28:001037-001041
6. 2024-02-28, 3058.2-3066.9s
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Passage: passage:2024-02-28:001043-001047
7. 2024-02-28, 3087.9-3091.7s
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Passage: passage:2024-02-28:001061-001063
8. 2024-02-28, 3120.0-3136.7s
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Passage: passage:2024-02-28:001079-001086
9. 2024-03-07, 4846.6-4863.9s
Workout: workout:2024-03-07
Passage: passage:2024-03-07:001437-001442
10. 2024-04-25, 2512.0-2551.5s
Workout: workout:2024-04-25
Passage: passage:2024-04-25:000870-000885
11. 2025-06-15, 2382.9-2389.9s
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Passage: passage:2025-06-15:000808-000811
12. 2025-06-15, 2393.1-2400.4s
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Passage: passage:2025-06-15:000813-000816
13. 2025-06-15, 2591.2-2602.8s
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Passage: passage:2025-06-15:000870-000875
14. 2025-06-15, 2605.7-2631.9s
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Passage: passage:2025-06-15:000877-000877
15. 2025-06-15, 2650.5-2654.2s
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Passage: passage:2025-06-15:000885-000887
16. 2025-06-19, 2893.9-2901.7s
Workout: workout:2025-06-19
Passage: passage:2025-06-19:000865-000867
17. 2025-07-20, 1848.2-1859.2s
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Passage: passage:2025-07-20:000385-000387
18. 2025-07-26, 2553.1-2555.0s
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Passage: passage:2025-07-26:000601-000602
19. 2025-07-26, 2585.4-2619.5s
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Passage: passage:2025-07-26:000607-000616
20. 2025-09-10, 688.9-699.5s
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Passage: passage:2025-09-10:000235-000239
21. 2025-09-10, 833.6-849.8s
Workout: workout:2025-09-10
Passage: passage:2025-09-10:000282-000289