Dumbbell Lying One Arm Press (version 2)

How to do the Dumbbell Lying One Arm Press (version 2)

1. 1Lie flat on a bench or the floor and hold a single dumbbell at chest level in one hand, palm facing toward your feet.
2. 2Plant your feet firmly and pull both shoulder blades down and together against the surface to set a stable base.
3. 3Brace your core hard to stop your torso from twisting toward the loaded side.
4. 4Press the dumbbell straight up over your chest until your arm is fully extended, keeping your wrist stacked over your elbow.
5. 5Pause briefly at the top with the dumbbell balanced directly above your shoulder.
6. 6Lower the dumbbell under control toward the side of your chest, keeping your elbow at roughly a 45–75° angle to your torso.
7. 7Stop when your upper arm is about level with your chest, feeling a stretch across the pec.
8. 8Complete all reps on one side, then switch the dumbbell to the other hand and repeat.

Form tips

• Keep your free hand resting on your torso or the floor to help anchor your body and check that you are not rotating.
• Brace your core and squeeze your glutes throughout the set so the lone weight does not pull your hips or shoulders out of line.
• Press the dumbbell in a slight arc back over your shoulder rather than straight toward your face to keep the chest loaded.
• Start lighter than your two-arm working weight, since balancing and stabilizing a single dumbbell is harder than it looks.

Common mistakes

• Letting your torso twist toward the working arm, which shifts load off the chest and strains the lower back.
• Lowering the dumbbell too fast or too deep, which stresses the shoulder joint and front delt instead of loading the pec.
• Flaring the elbow straight out to 90°, which places excessive stress on the shoulder.
• Bending the wrist back under the weight instead of keeping it stacked over the forearm, risking a wrist strain.

Frequently asked questions