Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredExercise Ball
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePush
- Experience LevelIntermediate
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Triceps
Target Muscle Group
Shoulders
Exercise Ball Dumbbell Shoulder Press Overview
The seated dumbbell shoulder press on an exercise ball is a variation of the dumbbell shoulder press and an exercise used to strengthen the muscles of the shoulders.
The use of an exercise ball instead of a bench provides a unique challenge as the exercise ball forces you to engage your core muscles to stabilize the weight.
The overhead press is a foundational movement for establishing baseline strength and building a completely balanced physique.
Utilizing dumbbells as opposed to performing with a barbell will allow the individual to strengthen each side of the muscle equally.
The exercise can be included in shoulder workouts, push workouts, upper body workouts, and full body workouts.
Exercise Ball Dumbbell Shoulder Press Instructions
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on the center of an exercise ball with your feet around shoulder width apart.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height on each side, and rotate your palms so they are facing forward. This is the starting position for the exercise.
- Take a deep breath then press the dumbbells overhead by extending the elbows and contracting the deltoids.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position (the arms should be roughly 90 degrees or slightly lower depending on limb lengths).
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Exercise Ball Dumbbell Shoulder Press Tips
- Don’t allow the head to jut forward excessively.
- Drive the bicep to the ear and exhale as you press.
- If you sense any pressure in your neck or traps during the movement, look to address a lack of thoracic spine extension or shoulder flexion.
- Keeping the elbows slightly bent at the top and not locking out entirely will help to keep tension on the shoulders.
- If you can’t lock out the elbows overhead then it may indicate a lack of shoulder mobility due to poor scapular upward rotation.
- If you need lower back support, try modifying the movement by doing a seated dumbbell press.
4 Comments
I think that this exercise should be ball dumbell bench press because the video that is to shoulder
I'd like to try this, but I'm worried about the weight limit of the ball. I'm 6ft 250-260lbs. Any tips?
I would use a ball if your unsure of the capacity of the ball. Doing dumbell shoulder press is just as affective if you do them sitting on a regular bench.
Most balls have a static capacity of 2000+ lbs so I wouldn't worry. The Capacity is usually stated on the ball anyhows