Overhead Press (Dumbbell)
Trains the shoulders, with help from the triceps. You need a dumbbell. 15 of our free programs use it, across 86 sessions.
Free to use. The app works out every weight and times your rest.
In the programs
How our programs run the Overhead Press (Dumbbell)
These numbers are counted from the programs themselves, not averaged off the internet.
15of our 50 programs use it
3×10–12the shape they run most (21 sessions)
1:30typical rest between sets
2open the session with it
3finish with an AMRAP set
| Program | Session | Sets × Reps | Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60-Day Cut | Full Body B | 3×10–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| 90-Day Transformation | Full Body B | 3×10–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Bullmastiff | Bench | 3×12 RPE 64×12 RPE 7+16 more on the program page | Fixed weights |
| Candito 6 Week Strength | W1 — Upper, W2 — Upper +3 | 2×12 1×10 1×81×10 1×8 1×6+2 more on the program page | Fixed weights |
| DoggCrapp (DC Training) | Workout A — Push / Back | 1×11–15 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Dorian Yates HIT | Shoulders & Traps | 1×12 @ 40% 1×8 @ 70% 1×6–10+ RPE 10 AMRAP | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Dumbbell Only Full Body | Full Body B | 3×10–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| German Volume Training (GVT) | Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders | 3×12–15 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| GZCL UHF | Bench | 5×12–15+ AMRAP5×10–12+ AMRAP+3 more on the program page | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine | Upper A, Upper B | 2×10–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| PHAT | Upper Power, Back & Shoulders Hypertrophy | 3×6–103×8–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Push Pull Legs · Upper Lower | Push | 3×8–10 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Strong Curves (Beginner) | Workout B — Phase 1, Workout B — Phase 2 +1 | 3×8–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Vince Gironda 8×8 | Shoulders & Arms | 8×8 | Linear: +2.5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Wolverine | Day 1 — Chest/Shoulders (Volume), Day 4 — Shoulders/Chest (Volume) +6 | 4×10–122×5 @ 65% 2×5 @ 75%+3 more on the program page | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
Percentages are of your training max. AMRAP means as many reps as you can manage on that set. Durata works out every one of these weights for you.
See it in action
Watch the Overhead Press (Dumbbell) progress week by week
Full runs of 3 programs that use it, session by session, in the real app.
Muscles worked
What Overhead Press (Dumbbell) trains
Technique
How to do the Overhead Press (Dumbbell)
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing each other.
- Step forward with your right foot and lower your body into a lunge position by bending both knees while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended. Your right knee should be directly above your right ankle, and your left knee should hover just above the floor.
- Push through your right heel to return to the starting position while lowering the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
- Repeat the movement with your left leg, alternating legs with each set.
Form cues
Getting it right
- Ensure your front knee does not extend past your toes to avoid strain on the knee joint.
- Keep a steady and controlled pace to ensure proper form and balance.
- Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead and inhale as you lower them back down.
Substitutes
Swap Overhead Press (Dumbbell) for
The app's swap picker ranks these the same way: same muscles, similar movement, similar equipment.
Let the app run the Overhead Press (Dumbbell) for you
Durata picks the weight, times your rest and adds load when you earn it. That works on any of our 50 free programs, or on a session you put together yourself.