10 Best Dumbbell Arnold Press Alternatives for Shoulder Strength

The Dumbbell Arnold Press is done standing with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Shoulder Press, the Dumbbell W-press and the Standing Dumbbell Press.

The Dumbbell Arnold Press turns your palms from facing you to facing forward as you press, and that rotation is the first thing to drop when it feels awkward under load or when your setup is different. The closest swap is the Dumbbell Shoulder Press, which uses the same dumbbells and the same overhead push without the rotating grip. If a barbell is what you have, the Barbell Shoulder Press takes that same push onto a bar.

Dumbbell Arnold PressWatch the Dumbbell Arnold Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Dumbbell Arnold Press

The steps for the Dumbbell Arnold Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Delts, with triceps, upper chest · Dumbbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Sit on a bench with back support and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing your body and elbows bent.
  2. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended and your palms are facing forward.
  3. Rotate your wrists as you lift, so that your palms are facing forward at the top of the movement.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Dumbbell Arnold Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Dumbbell Arnold Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

    1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

    99% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the delts.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a military press bench or utility bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs.
    2. Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position.
    3. Make sure to rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position.
    4. Now, exhale and push the dumbbells upward until they touch at the top.
    5. Then, after a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
    6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: strict overhead press, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
  4. Kettlebell Two Arm Military PressPlay demonstration

    4. Kettlebell Two Arm Military Press

    99% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a kettlebell to work with, and it still works the delts.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand at shoulder level with your palms facing forward.
    2. Engage your core and press the kettlebells overhead, fully extending your arms.
    3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the kettlebells back to the starting position.
    4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: strict overhead press, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
  7. Dumbbell Scott PressPlay demonstration

    7. Dumbbell Scott Press

    96% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
    2. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, with your elbows bent and palms facing forward.
    3. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Arnold Press

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Arnold Press Alternative

The Dumbbell Arnold Press asks you to start with palms facing your body and turn to palms forward as you press, and that turn is the first thing to change when it feels awkward under load, when the bench is taken, or when a kettlebell or a barbell is what you actually have instead. Each of these presses still trains your delts and triceps through an overhead push. Some keep the same dumbbells and drop the twist, some swap in a kettlebell instead, and others load a barbell so you can add weight in smaller jumps than a pair of dumbbells allows. A few move the press from seated to standing, trading the back support for a lift you can do anywhere you can stand and hold weight overhead.

Dumbbell Arnold Press FAQ

Can I do the Dumbbell Arnold Press without a bench?

Not as written, since the Dumbbell Arnold Press starts seated on a bench with back support, but two standing presses cover the same overhead push with the same dumbbells: the Standing Dumbbell Press holds your palms forward with elbows out, and the Standing Palms-in Dumbbell Press keeps a neutral grip the whole way, so you lose the back support and the rotating grip while keeping the press.

How do I press with a grip that does not rotate?

Pick a press that starts and finishes in the same hand position. The Dumbbell Shoulder Press and the Dumbbell Scott Press both keep your palms facing forward for the whole lift with the same dumbbells you already use for the Dumbbell Arnold Press, so nothing else about the setup changes.

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