Seated Dumbbell Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Seated Dumbbell Press
- Grab a couple of dumbbells and sit on a military press bench or a utility bench that has a back support on it as you place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs.
- Clean the dumbbells up one at a time by using your thighs to bring the dumbbells up to shoulder height at each side.
- Rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position.
- As you exhale, push the dumbbells up until they touch at the top.
- After a second pause, slowly come down back to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Seated Dumbbell Press
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Seated Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
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2
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
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3
Standing Dumbbell Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
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4
Standing Palm-In One-Arm Dumbbell Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
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5
Kettlebell Seated Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.
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6
Seated Barbell Military Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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7
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
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8
Anti-Gravity Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
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9
Arnold Dumbbell Press
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
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10
Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do seated dumbbell press work?
Seated Dumbbell Press primarily works the shoulders. The triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for seated dumbbell press?
Seated Dumbbell Press uses dumbbells.
Seated Dumbbell Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Seated Dumbbell Press is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of seated dumbbell press?
Seated Cable Shoulder Press, Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press, Standing Dumbbell Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my seated dumbbell press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; seated dumbbell press can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Seated Dumbbell Press with AI
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