Dumbbell Curl and Press: Ultimate Move for Sculpted Arms!

Many exercisers train their bodies one muscle at a time. While this is a valid approach for hypertrophy and bodybuilding, it may not be the best way to build functional fitness and strength.

As a veteran personal trainer, I understand the importance of choosing the best exercise for your fitness goals. And while isolation or single-joint exercises have their place, most people will benefit from a more integrated training approach.

The dumbbell curl and press trains your body as it works in nature – by bringing groups of muscles together. This not only enhances functionality but also saves you time.

In this article, I explain why and how to do this excellent exercise and provide a few variations for you to try.

Dumbbell Curl and Press Correct Form  

The dumbbell curl and press pairs two popular upper body exercises – biceps curls and overhead presses. As such, you can probably guess how to do it. That said, to avoid any confusion, here are some step-by-step instructions for this fantastic exercise.

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, and palms facing your legs.
3. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
4. Without using your legs or back, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders.
5. Rotate the dumbbells so your palms are facing forward.
6. Again, without using your legs, smoothly press the weights up and together so they meet above your head at arm’s length.
7. Lower the weights back to your shoulders and then to your sides.
8. That’s one rep – keep going!

Dumbbell Curl and Press: Muscles Worked

The dumbbell curl and press combines an isolation exercise (biceps curl) with a compound exercise (overhead press). Consequently, it works several important upper body muscles. The main movers and shakers during this exercise are as follows:

• Biceps brachii – aka biceps
• Brachialis
• Brachioradialis
• Deltoids – especially the anterior or front head
• Triceps brachii – aka the triceps
• Trapezius – especially the upper fibers
• Rotator cuff
• Core

Pro-Trainer Tips

Get more from the dumbbell curl and press with these tried-and-tested pro-trainer tips!  

• Do this exercise seated if you find yourself using your legs and back to lift the weight. Sitting limits your ability to cheat.
• You can do this exercise with a neutral/parallel grip throughout or rotate your wrists as you curl and press. Both options are similarly effective, so choose the one that feels most comfortable.
• This exercise works best with medium to high reps and light to moderate weights. 6-15 is a good rep range for most people.
• While you should avoid using your legs and back to lift the weights, a little “body English” on the last 1-2 reps will help you overcome any sticking points. The last part of the overhead press can be especially challenging as you fatigue.
• Do this exercise with a single dumbbell and work one arm at a time to increase core engagement and identify and fix your left-to-right strength imbalances.
• Add some thick grips to your dumbbells to bring some extra forearm work to this already comprehensive exercise.
• Try doing dumbbell curl and presses with an alternating arm action. The brief rest between efforts may allow you to crank out more reps or use more weight:

Dumbbell Curl and Press Mistakes to Avoid

Make the dumbbell curl and press as effective and safe as possible by avoiding these common mistakes.

Going Too Heavy

Using heavy weights could turn the dumbbell curl and press into something more akin to an Olympic clean and jerk! While the C & J is another excellent exercise, it relies more on full body power than the strength of your biceps and shoulders. Use lighter dumbbells to ensure the target muscles are doing all the work.

Not Emphasizing the Negative

Many exercises lift their weights with control but then all but drop them before starting their next rep. This is a mistake! Lowering your weights too quickly shock-loads your muscles, tendons, and joints, which increases your injury risk. It also makes your reps less effective.

With the curl and press, it’s often tempting to put all your energy into lifting the weight and then get the lowering phase over as fast as possible. However, you’ll get much better results if you lower the weight slower than you lift it, emphasizing the negative (1).

Not Bracing Your Core

Core is the collective name for the muscles that make up your midsection. Together, these muscles contract inward to create intra-abdominal pressure and support your lumber spine. As such, they act much like a weightlifting belt.

However, like a lifting belt, your core only works if you tighten and engage it – which we call bracing.

Dumbbell curl and presses require a very stable core, so you must brace during each and every rep. Bracing will allow you to lift heavier loads while protecting your lower back from stress and strain.

Doing This Exercise Too Often

While I’m a big fan of the dumbbell curl and press, I also recognize that it’ll lose some of its value if you do it too often. Consequently, I recommend you alternate it with other exercises to keep your training fresh and avoid ruts and plateaus.

Dumbbell Curl and Press Benefits

Not sure if the dumbbell curl and press deserve a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide.

Time Efficiency

Combining two strength moves into one is a great way to save time. Lack of time is a commonly reported barrier to consistent exercise (2). The dumbbell curl and press works several critical upper body muscles and could shave valuable minutes off your workouts.

Highly Functional

Curling a weight to your shoulders and pressing it overhead is a fairly common movement, e.g., putting a box on a high shelf. Consequently, the dumbbell curl and press is a highly functional exercise that should transfer well to activities outside the gym.

Improve Coordination

Coordination is your ability to move your limbs with accuracy and control. While most strength training exercises involve an element of coordination, some are more challenging than others. Combining two movements in one, the dumbbell curl and press will challenge and develop your coordination more than many other exercises.

Variety

Are you bored of your usual exercises and workout? I hear you! Adding new exercises to your program can help keep things interesting. The dumbbell curl and press is an old-school exercise that not many people do anymore. Don’t let this lack of popularity put you off – the dumbbell curl and press is a fun, effective exercise that deserves a place in your workouts. 

Dumbbell Curl and Press Variations

While the dumbbell curl and press is a great exercise, it’s not the only way to work your shoulders and biceps. Here are a couple of alternatives to try!

Resistance Band Curl and Press

No dumbbells? No problem! You can also do the curl and press with a resistance band. This is an excellent option for home workouts. However, because of the way the band stretches, the overhead press is invariably more challenging than the biceps curl. Remedy this by doing two curls for every press.

Barbell Reverse Curl to Strict Press

The barbell reverse curl and press works your forearms more than the dumbbell variation. It’s a great option when you don’t have dumbbells or want to train both arms simultaneously.

Dumbbell Squat, Curl, and Press

Show your legs some love with the dumbbell squat, curl, and press! This is one of the most time-efficient exercises around and provides an excellent muscular and cardiovascular workout. The dumbbell squat, curl, and press is a fantastic movement for circuit training and other metabolic workouts.

Closing Thoughts

The dumbbell curl and press is one of my favorite time-saving exercises. Working multiple critical muscle groups, it’s a perfect end-of-workout finisher and provides loads of bang for your training buck. Whether you want to get fit, burn fat, or sculpt your shoulders and arms, this exercise deserves a place in your workouts.

My personal training clients and I LOVE the dumbbell curl and press. Try it, and I think you will, too.

References:

1. Roig M, O’Brien K, Kirk G, Murray R, McKinnon P, Shadgan B, Reid WD. The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2009 Aug;43(8):556-68. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.051417. Epub 2008 Nov 3. PMID: 18981046.
2. Hoare E, Stavreski B, Jennings GL, Kingwell BA. Exploring Motivation and Barriers to Physical Activity among Active and Inactive Australian Adults. Sports (Basel). 2017 Jun 28;5(3):47. doi: 10.3390/sports5030047. PMID: 29910407; PMCID: PMC5968958.

Featured image via @marcusfilly on YouTube!

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