10 Best Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press Alternatives for Strength

If you can’t do the Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press V. 2, use exercises that load the delts while preserving scapular control and rotator‑cuff health. Try single‑arm landmine press, seated dumbbell press, arnold press, neutral‑grip single‑arm overhead press, or pike push‑ups. Brace your core, track the elbow under the wrist, and use a controlled tempo to maximize medial deltoid activation.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press

Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Triceps, Upper Back
How to Perform Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder level, palm facing forward.
  2. Engage your core and press the dumbbell straight up overhead, fully extending your arm.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to shoulder level.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.

Ranked Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press Alternatives

Best Match
Kettlebell Arnold Press

1. Kettlebell Arnold Press

99.4% Match
Delts Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing towards you.
  2. Engage your core and press the kettlebells overhead, rotating your palms to face forward as you extend your arms.
  3. Pause at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the kettlebells back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Standing Palm-In One-Arm Dumbbell Press

2. Standing Palm-In One-Arm Dumbbell Press

99.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start by having a dumbbell in one hand with your arm fully extended to the side using a neutral grip. Use your other arm to hold on to an incline bench to keep your balance.
  2. Your feet should be shoulder width apart from each other. Now slowly lift the dumbbell up until you create a 90 degree angle with your arm. Note: Your forearm should be perpendicular to the floor. Continue to maintain a neutral grip throughout the entire exercise.
  3. Slowly lift the dumbbell up until your arm is fully extended. This the starting position.
  4. While inhaling lower the weight down until your arm is at a 90 degree angle again.
  5. Feel the contraction for a second and then lift the weight back up towards the starting position while exhaling. Remember to hold on to the incline bench and keep your feet positioned to keep balance during the exercise.
One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side

3. One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side

99.2% Match
Delts Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Clean a kettlebell to your shoulder. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulder. Rotate your wrist as you do so, so that the palm faces inward. This will be your starting position.
  2. Look at the kettlebell and press it up and out until it is locked out overhead.
  3. Lower the kettlebell back to your shoulder under control and repeat. Make sure to contract your lat, butt, and stomach forcefully for added stability and strength.
Dumbbell Standing One Arm Palm In Press

4. Dumbbell Standing One Arm Palm In Press

94.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder height with your palm facing inwards.
  2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
  3. Press the dumbbell upwards until your arm is fully extended.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press

5. Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press

92.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Raise the dumbbells to your shoulders with your palms facing forward and your elbows pointed out. This will be your starting position.
  2. Extend one arm to press the dumbbell straight up, keeping your off hand in place. Do not lean or jerk the weight during the movement.
  3. After a brief pause, return the weight to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the opposite side, continuing to alternate between arms.
Kettlebell Alternating Press

6. Kettlebell Alternating Press

92.4% Match
Delts Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand at shoulder height.
  2. Press one kettlebell overhead, fully extending your arm.
  3. Lower the kettlebell back to shoulder height.
  4. Repeat with the other arm.
  5. Continue alternating arms for the desired number of repetitions.
Kettlebell Seesaw Press

7. Kettlebell Seesaw Press

92.4% Match
Delts Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand at shoulder height.
  2. Press one kettlebell overhead while keeping the other kettlebell at shoulder height.
  3. Lower the pressed kettlebell back to shoulder height while simultaneously pressing the other kettlebell overhead.
  4. Continue alternating the pressing motion, creating a seesaw-like movement.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Cuban Press V. 2

8. Dumbbell Cuban Press V. 2

92.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing down.
  2. Keeping your core engaged and your back straight, press the dumbbells straight up overhead until your arms are fully extended.
  3. Rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing forward.
  4. Lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder height, rotating your wrists back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Arnold Press

9. Dumbbell Arnold Press

91.7% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press

10. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

91.7% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press Alternative

You might substitute this press for shoulder pain, poor scapular stability, limited equipment, or a programming need for different loading patterns. For example, a landmine press reduces humeral internal rotation and anterior impingement risk by moving the load into a more natural plane; cue a slight forward lean and scapular upward rotation to feel anterior and medial deltoid engagement. If a rotator cuff issue limits overhead range, choose a neutral‑grip seated press to lower torque on the glenohumeral joint while still recruiting the delts and triceps. Substitutes let you preserve training volume while managing joint stress and unilateral stability.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on shoulder pathology, stability demands, and the plane of movement. If you lack a spotter or rack, pick landmine or neutral‑grip single‑arm presses that lower shear and internal rotation; cue the elbow to track forward 10–20° from the frontal plane to reduce impingement. For hypertrophy choose seated or arnold presses to increase time under tension and medial deltoid recruitment; pause at 90° elbow flexion to emphasize isometric control. For bodyweight options use pike push‑ups or elevated handstand progressions, keeping scapulae depressed and core braced to transfer load into the delts without external weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press V. 2 work?

The movement primarily targets the anterior and medial deltoids while the triceps assist in lockout. The rotator cuff stabilizers (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) engage to keep the humeral head centered during the press.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press V. 2?

Pike push‑ups are the top bodyweight alternative; they load the delts in a vertical pressing pattern. Cue a hip hinge and hands slightly wider than shoulder width, descend until your head approaches the floor, and drive up to emphasize anterior and medial deltoid activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell One Arm Shoulder Press V. 2?

Yes. You can achieve deltoid hypertrophy with presses and pushes that match loading and range of motion, such as seated dumbbell presses, arnold presses, and landmine presses. Focus on progressive overload, controlled eccentrics, and consistent activation of the medial deltoid and stabilizing rotator cuff.

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use the exercise substitution finder to compare ranked alternatives for your available equipment and training preference.

Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →