Not all exercises are created equal, and some deserve a spot in your workout plans more than others. 

To start establishing a hierarchy, I asked top personal trainer Ollie Thompson which three moves he prioritizes above all others, and his answer wasn’t the often recommended trio of barbell exercises—the back squat, bench press and deadlift. 

Instead, he served up some surprising yet worthy exercises to help you elevate your training. 

These include “the king of single-leg strength exercises”, an “effective and accessible variation” of a back-building staple and a loaded carry to set you on your way to a “robust, pain-free, and well-functioning body”.

Three Strength Training Exercises No Plan Should Be Without

1 Split squat 

“I consider the split squat to be the king of single-leg strength exercises,” says Thompson. “I’m a big advocate of single-leg strength exercises because they translate to everyday life. When we walk, run, jump and play sports, we’re predominantly using one leg at a time.

“There are many split squat variations that you can try; they all work your legs in slightly different ways and have their own benefits. 

“The traditional split squat shown here is a straightforward variation that almost anybody can do to strengthen their glutes and quads while building more robust knees, hips and ankles.”

Brush up on your technique with our guide to how to do a split squat.

2 Suitcase carry

“The suitcase carry is just one of many carry exercises that I love to use with clients, and it’s definitely more challenging than it looks,” says Thompson. 

“The suitcase variation in particular—walking with a weight in just one hand—challenges your core laterally, helping to build spinal stability and improve the relationship between shoulders, rib cage and pelvis, which is important for a robust, pain-free and well-functioning body.”

Find out more about loaded carries, including how to do this one-arm variation.

3 Incline bench row 

“A rowing exercise needs to be in this list, and the chest-supported dumbbell row is one of the most effective and accessible variations,” says Thompson. 

“Building a strong upper back is crucial to not only help us to move and function well, but also can help mitigate any lower back pain.”

Read our form guide to the incline bench row.

The upright row is one of the best back exercises around for building bigger traps. These upper-back muscles, which resemble a trapezoid shape and extend from the top of the spine to the mid back and laterally to the shoulder blades, are all too often neglected, even by committed gym-goers, because they’re tricky to train and impossible to see without a mirror (or two). 

Not training your traps could lead to imbalances and weaknesses that have an impact on your other lifts. Conversely, well-developed traps will help you perform a variety of moves better, including squats, deadlifts, cleans and bench presses.  

Aesthetically speaking, the upright row is also among the best shoulder exercises to target the front and middle deltoids of the shoulders. These muscles not only help create the V-shaped upper back popular with bodybuilders, but they are also crucial to stabilize the shoulder joint and protect it from injury.  

Here we will outline the exercise’s key benefits, explain why it should always form the cornerstone of the best back workouts, and provide some expert tips for beginners and experienced gym-goers to help you truly master the upright row once and for all. 

Benefits Of The Upright Row

The upright row is a staple of bodybuilding workouts for its effectiveness at growing the upper-back muscles, but its benefits translate far beyond the weights room.

One of its main advantages is a greatly reduced risk of injury to the neck and shoulders. Well-developed traps and rhomboids help cushion the neck, spine and shoulder girdle from heavy blows you might experience in contact sports. 

A strong upper back also provides extra stability for compound moves like deadlifts and front squats, helping you resist the weight from pulling you forward. Strong, robust traps can also benefit CrossFitters and powerlifters when performing dynamic Olympic lifts like the snatch and the clean and jerk.

By helping improve your posture, upright rows can help with everyday activities, as well as correcting hunched shoulders from too much time spent at your desk. 

Finally, upright rows carry plenty of cross-over benefits for your core. Holding the weight in front of your body increases the engagement of your abdominal muscles, while pulling the load towards your chin will test the strength of your lower back. 

How To Do A Upright Row

Here’s our expert guide, suitable for beginners and advanced gym-goers alike, although if you have limited training experience it’s a good idea to read out FAQs below, especially the advice on whether the upright row is safe for shoulders.

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, standing tall, holding a barbell or EZ-bar with an overhand grip (palms facing you). Position your hands slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest facing forward and abs braced hard, lift the bar until it is level with your upper chest, keeping it close to your body at all times. Keep the lifting stage smooth to avoid excess strain on your wrists, elbows or shoulder joints. Pause in this top position, focusing on squeezing your traps as hard as possible, then slowly lower the weight to the start position. 

Sprague says: “Focus on lifting the weight with your back muscles rather than your biceps and lead with your elbows, keeping them above your forearms throughout.” 

Upright Row Form Tips

1. Start light

Check your ego at the door to avoid embarrassment—or worse, injury. “Lifting too much weight will always be to the detriment of your form,” says Sprague. If you can’t keep your body upright and have to use momentum to shrug the bar up, you’ve gone too big too soon.

The Fix: If you’re unsure how heavy to go, start with a set of upright rows using an unloaded barbell. Once you’re confident with the technique, add weight in small 1.25kg or 2.5kg increments.

2. Don’t cheat

Lifting too heavy can also lead to jerky upper-body movements, loss of balance and an overarched back, meaning the muscles you want to work are missing out and your risk of injury increases.

The Fix: To avoid using momentum, perform the lift with your back against a wall, suggests Kern Alexander, a certified personal trainer at Leading Edge Personal Trainers in New York City. “The wall will stop you rocking back and forth so you can’t cheat the reps with your back or legs. And if you can’t lift the weight with your back against a wall, then you shouldn't lift it at all.”

3. Adjust your grip

The upright row is typically done with a shoulder-width grip, but small adjustments can subtly alter which muscles are recruited.

The Fix: A narrow grip will shift the focus to the front deltoids and forearms, although it may increase the strain on your rotator cuff muscles. If you’re battling any lingering shoulder issues, or want to focus on your traps, widen your grip.

4. Watch your elbows

Your elbows should remain higher than your wrists throughout the upright row to effectively activate the muscles of your shoulders and reduce undue load on your wrists.

The Fix: Keep your knuckles pointed down toward the floor. Bend your elbows and pull the barbell straight up until it reaches your chest, ensuring your wrists stay below the level of your elbows at all times.

5. Use a foam roller beforehand

“Tight or overactive traps are common in people who carry a lot of tension in their neck and shoulders, which can reduce the effectiveness of this exercise,” says Alexander. It’s vital to relax and mobilize your traps before your first set of upright rows.

The Fix: Spend a few minutes using a foam roller on your upper back as part of your pre-upright row warm-up. Check our guide on how to use a foam roller for the best results.

FAQs

Upright Row Variations

Dumbbell upright row

Why Switching to dumbbells for your upright row means that you can work each side of the body individually and identify any strength imbalances in your shoulders and back. It also allows for a more natural range of movement than using a barbell, even if you might have to reduce the overall weight used a little when lifting dumbbells. 

How Hold the dumbbells by your waist in an overhand grip, with your palms facing you. Lift the weights to your shoulders, squeeze your traps, then lower.

Cable upright row

Why Using a cable machine means that there is tension in the muscles throughout the entire exercise, because you will be resisting the pull of the machine when you lower the bar with control.

How Attach a straight-bar handle to the lowest position on a cable machine and hold it in both hands in front of your waist. Lift the bar to your shoulders, pause for a beat, then lower it slowly.

About Our Experts

When you’re new to the gym the free weights room can seem a daunting place, and many people steer clear to focus on bodyweight exercises and fixed weight machines instead. But while there’s nothing wrong with kit-free and fixed weight workouts, there’s also no reason at all to avoid free weights, because with the right exercise selection beginners can get just as much out of them as experienced gym-goers.

Before you get going with free weights, however, it’s wise to bone up on the different types available, because they each have their pros and cons. To help, we asked Ant Nyman, owner of Antics Fitness and Multipower ambassador, for the skinny on the different types of free weights.

After that, we’ve compiled a selection of free weights exercises for the key body parts: back, chest, legs, biceps, tricpes and shoulders.  

Dumbbells

The most popular type of free weight, dumbbells are a great addition to your home gym and the first port of call for many gym newbies.

“Dumbbells can be extremely effective because you have to use each side of your body individually,” says Nyman. “This helps ensure you don’t have any body parts that lag behind, because your weaker side can’t rely on your stronger side to do the rep.

“The uneven and unstable nature of using dumbbells will also ensure your core gets a good workout as it’ll be fighting to keep you stable throughout the movement.

The primary downside of dumbbells is that you can’t stack huge amounts of weight on them.

“If you want to lift as heavy as possible and focus on compound moves like squats and deadlifts, a barbell will be more effective,” says Nyman.

Ready to get started? Here are the best dumbbell exercises for every level of gym-goer and if you want a set for your home, try our round-up of the best dumbbells.

Kettlebells

If you’re a fan of functional training, you should be using kettlebells, because their shape and the way you hold them allows you to mimic natural movements more easily than with dumbbells.

“Exercises like kettlebell swings help you to build up your glute strength while your body swings and your hips thrust in a natural pattern,” says Nyman.

However, as with dumbbells, there’s a limit to how heavy you can go with kettlebells, so Nyman recommends not simply trying to lift as heavy a bell as possible – there are smarter ways to use them.

“You’re better off aiming for high reps or time under tension to build muscular endurance and stamina,” says Nyman.

Check out the best kettlebell exercises for beginner, intermediate and advanced gym-goers, and we also have a buyer’s guide to the best kettlebells so you can select the finest set for home use.

Barbells and plates

Here’s where it gets really heavy.

“If you’re looking to build strength and size, you’ll want to lift as heavy a weight as possible – making sure you’re doing so with perfect form,” says Nyman. “This is where barbells and plates come into their own.

“You do barbell exercises using both sides of your body, which means you’re able to lift a lot more weight. It’s also far more stable and balanced than using dumbbells, but you’ll still have to use your core because it’s less stable than using machines.”

Before you head straight for the barbell, remember there are downsides too. Using them can be tough on your wrists and you can’t move as freely as with dumbbells or kettlebells.

“You’re a little limited in your range of movement when using a barbell,” says Nyman. “There are certain exercises like the bench press where you’re forced to stop because of the bar, rather than where your flexibility would allow you to move.”

Ready to start using the barbell? Try our pick of seven essential barbell exercises you should be doing.

See related 

• The Best Free-Weights Workout Plan To Build Strength
• The Dumbbell Workout Plan To Build Muscle At Home
• The Best Kettlebell Workouts For Strength, Cardio And Fat Loss

EZ-bar

This bar differs from the standard straight bar by bending in a slight zig-zag pattern in the middle, which makes certain exercises a little easier on your wrists.

“EZ-bars are great for allowing you to get the leverage to go heavy – especially on biceps and triceps exercises – without straining your wrists and forcing them into unnatural positions,” says Nyman.

The EZ-bar shares some disadvantages with the standard barbell, the main one being that it can mask weaknesses in your body.

“As with the barbell, the EZ-bar means your weaker side can get a slightly easier ride because the stronger side can do most the work in the rep,” says Nyman.

To get to grips with the hall-of-famer EZ-bar exercise, read our in-depth EZ-bar curl exercise guide.

Sandbags/sandbells

Sand-filled weights can be just as heavy as dumbbells and kettlebells, but they’re not as hard, so you can throw them around and slam them down without wrecking floors and walls.

“In a similar way to kettlebells, sandbags allow you to build functional strength and replicate more natural movements,” says Nyman. “The design of the bags allows you to move as your body wants to, as opposed to being restricted to where a solid bar dictates.”

Sandbags and bells can be cumbersome, however, and they’re not the best for lifting massive weight.

“You won’t be able to go as heavy as possible with these – they’re more for building stamina,” says Nyman.

Despite this limitation, it’s possible to work your entire body with a sandbag, as this punishing 30-minute EMOM workout shows.

Free Weights Exercises For Your Back

Bent-over row

Rows are your best friend when it comes to building back strength, and you can do them using a variety of free weights.

Renegade row

This twist on the classic row is as good for your core as it is your back. Adopt a press-up position while holding dumbbells, then row them up to your chest one at a time.

Free Weights Exercises For Your Chest

Bench press

The classic chest-builder. Pick your free weight, lie back, lower, press, repeat.

Dumbbell flye

This move works a greater range of chest muscles than the press, and you’ll feel every one of them as you spread your arms to the sides, then use your chest to pull them back in.

Floor press

No bench? No problem. Working from the floor also puts less pressure on your shoulders than the classic move.

Free Weights Exercises For Legs

Squat

The quintessential leg exercise has endless variations you can do, and any sort of free weight can be involved.

Deadlift

The other big hitter for your lower body, the deadlift focuses on the posterior chain.

Kettlebell swing

The first move to learn when you get hold of a kettlebell, this one is great for your quads, hamstrings, glutes and core.

Free Weights Exercises For Biceps

Biceps curl

The best way to bulk up your biceps. The classic curl can be done with a barbell or dumbbells.

Reverse-grip bent-over row

Rather than a deceitful version of the classic row, this move is actually a highly effective variation for those seeking biceps gains as much as back strength.

EZ-bar curl

Using the curved EZ-bar means less strain on your wrists, so you can lift more weight in your curls.

Free Weights Exercises For Triceps

Triceps kick-back

A great dumbbell exercise that targets each arm unilaterally. Lean on a bench with one hand holding a weight in the other and straighten your to “kick” the weight back, making sure you’re moving only your forearm.

Overhead triceps extension

If you opt for dumbbells rather than the cable machine for your overhead extension, you can work each arm individually.

Close-grip bench press

The bench press in general is a great triceps exercise, but using a close grip targets those muscles more than using a standard grip.

Free Weights Exercises For Shoulders

Overhead press

This challenging but effective move can be done with a barbell to lift more weight, while using dumbbells works each shoulder individually.

Front raise

Make sure you use light dumbbells at first when attempting this exercise, because you’ll exhaust your shoulder muscles more quickly than you think.

Lateral raise

Once you’ve finished with the front raise, move your arms to the sides for the lateral raise to work your shoulders from a different angle.

If you want to build the kind of broad, muscular shoulders that can win a handshake-off with Carl Weathers, best the Predator and control an entire class of kindergarten-age children, then you need to take a leaf out of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training manual.

Arnie’s take on the dumbbell overhead press is undoubtedly one of the best shoulder exercises because it recruits all three sections of your deltoids—the round muscles at the tops of your upper arms—with the result that you build fuller, wider, more defined shoulders, and improve your posture to boot.

How to Do the Arnold Press

You can do the Arnold press standing, but USA Weightlifting Level 1-certified fitness coach Karl Bratland recommends grabbing a weight bench with the backrest set to 90° for support.

“Most people do it with their back supported with a bench, but if you don’t have that you can do it without. Just be careful you’re not using too much weight,” he says.

Remember, you won’t be able to go as heavy with the Arnold press as you would for a standard dumbbell shoulder press. So pick up a pair of moderate-weight dumbbells, sit down on the bench with your spine flush against the backrest. Place the weights on your knees and use your legs to kick them up to your shoulders. 

“Hold the dumbbells right in front of your shoulders at collarbone height with your hands facing you, unlike a regular shoulder press,” says Bratland. “As you press the dumbbells up, rotate your hands to face away from you until you get to that [regular shoulder press] movement.”

From there, drive the weights upward until your elbows are fully extended. After you hit the top of the lift, reverse the movement to control the weights back to the starting position—and that’s a rep.  

Arnold Press Form Tips

There are a few pitfalls to avoid when performing the Arnold press, so we asked Bratland to provide some top tips to help you press with the best of them. 

First and foremost, he cautions against performing the exercise in two stages, moving your elbows to the sides and then performing a standard shoulder press. Instead, Bratland stresses that the Arnold press should be performed in one fluid motion. Begin to lift the dumbbells and start to rotate your wrists when the dumbbells are at head height. 

Another common mistake Bratland sees is ego lifting. People reach for a heavy set of dumbbells and then curve their spine when pressing them overhead to bring their chest muscles into play and grind through reps. 

“You don’t want to arch your back and compensate with your thoracic [mid] spine,” says Bratland. “Your shoulders should be doing the work. That’s why the back support sometimes helps people.”

Finally, he says, you need to make sure you hit full extension at your elbow at the top of each rep. Pushing your head through so your biceps are level with your ears can be a good form cue to help with this.

Arnold Press Benefits

You don’t have to go too heavy with the weight to achieve excellent results with the Arnold press (a bonus if the CIA has had you pushing too many pencils at your desk lately). The exercise keeps your muscles under tension longer and puts them through a greater range of motion than standard overhead presses do, meaning that despite the lighter weight you’ll still be stimulating plenty of new muscle growth.

The Arnold press also hits often neglected muscles and will help you improve your performance in other lifts, too. The anterior (front) deltoid tends to get plenty of work from press-ups and bench presses, but the medial (lateral) and posterior (rear) often get neglected. However, the Arnold press works all these evenly along with the stabilizer muscles, helping draw back the shoulders for a straight posture and assisting with big pulling moves such as deadlifts, pull-ups and rows.

Arnold Press Vs Shoulder Press

The Arnold press and the shoulder press are similar. They both use dumbbells, both target the delts, and both recruit muscles like the triceps and rotator cuffs as supporting characters. 

So what are the main differences between the two press techniques, and why should you pick one over the other?

The most obvious variation is the form. The Arnold press adds another element to the move by challenging you to rotate your wrists and bring the dumbbells lower (in front of the shoulders) at the bottom of each rep. 

“The Arnold press will allow you to lift less weight because of the rotational component,” Bratland says. “With the shoulder press you’re going to move more weight and build more strength.”

Surely that’s settled then? The shoulder press is superior. Well, not quite. There’s a reason why Arnie put his name to this muscle-building move, and that reason is hypertrophy.

“If your main goal is purely muscle development or hypertrophy, the Arnold press would probably be better because the rotation is going to increase your time under tension,” Bratland says. “It hits the whole shoulder more because you have this rotational movement, and you get more of a range of motion.

“The rotational component will engage your shoulders and back in a different manner because you have to stabilize through that rotation. So it’s definitely going to hit the delts and the stabilizing muscles in the back.”

These impressive pros do come with a caveat though. If you lack the necessary strength, stability and mobility in your shoulders, the Arnold press can increase your risk of injury. 

“If you don’t have the mobility in the shoulders or you have shoulder issues, I wouldn’t do the Arnold press,” Bratland says. “If you don’t have enough strength and stability [in the joint] you need to address that until you can do it pain-free.”

Workouts

Now you understand how to perform the Arnold press correctly, you’re no doubt itching to put it into practice. We can help with that, because naturally the Arnold press has featured in a range of workouts.

• The seated Arnold press makes an appearance in our best shoulder workout routine, supersetted with the seated lateral raise.
• The Arnold press rounds out a challenging tri-set in this dumbbell shoulder workout.
• If you’re looking for a full-body training plan, try this series of dumbbell workouts—which includes the Arnold press in the final of the four weekly workouts.
• Round off any workout with this four-move finisher, a full-body effort which culminates with the Arnold press.
• If you have a pair of dumbbells and a kettlebell, give this 20-minute home workout a go which combines the Arnold press with the biceps curl.
• To finish off, and to finish you off, give this dumbbell complex a whirl. The Arnold press caps off the combination of moves. 

About Our Expert

Sandbags come in a variety of weights but they all contain material that shifts around when you move the bag, which means that your body has to constantly readjust as the load shifts around. “The sand in the bag moves around, which gives an anti-rotation component to your training because your core has to work harder to stabilise the load,” says Charles Allan-Price from W10 Performance gym.

“The handles on a sandbag also give you more flexibility than using a barbell,” says Charles Allan-Price. “If you’re doing a clean and press, for example, it’s easier to get your wrists into position when you’re using a bag than it is with a bar.”

1 Clean and press

Start with the bag on the ground, then drive up through your heels and lift the bag quickly, flipping it over to catch it at chest height. Pause, then push the bag overhead.

“This is the foundation exercise of the sandbag variation, and mastering it will give you more options to do later down the track,” says Allan-Price. “It’s a full-body exercise and a great way to elevate your heart rate and burn calories while practising a hinge movement in a low-risk way. Keep the bag as close to your body as possible – don't let it get away from you.”

2 Upright row

Grip the bag by the central handle – or, for a real test of grip strength, by the fabric. Pull upwards, bringing your elbows up to the sides. To safeguard your shoulder joints, don’t jolt. Lower the bag under control.

“What I like about doing this with a sandbag is that it is more versatile than the barbell,” says Allan-Price. “It’s a great exercise for the traps and biceps and can be performed by people of all levels of ability –and you can take the sandbag anywhere. While performing the upright row, keep your elbows higher than your hands to optimise biceps and trap engagement.”

3 Zercher lunge

A favourite with wrestlers. Grip the bag underneath with your hands clasped together, then lunge forwards, alternating legs. You’ll test your core, legs and biceps.

“Single-leg movements often relate most to sports and day-to-day life,” says Allan-Price. “Holding the bag in front while engaging the glutes and hamstrings makes it a tough workout on the core. Keep your elbows high (ideally level with your shoulders), to create a ‘shelf’ for the bag to sit on. This will help keep a strong spine throughout the movement. There are a lot of further options available with the Zercher lunge such as walking lunges, reverse lunges, split squats and jump lunges.”

See related 

• Full-Body Sandbag Workouts To Shake Things Up
• The EMOM Sandbag Workout For Rock-Hard Abs

4 Floor press

Lie on the floor with the bag on your chest, and your triceps resting on the ground – this protects your shoulders more than traditional bench pressing. Push the bag overhead, pause, then lower under control.

“One of the most simple and effective exercises, especially if you struggle doing press-ups, this variation is a great way to strengthen the triceps and pecs muscles used for press-ups,” says Allan-Price. “One common mistakes people make during the floor press is allowing their elbows to flare out – keep your elbows at about a 45° angle as if you were pushing someone in front of you. That way you get the most out of the triceps and pecs.”

5 Turkish get-up

This is expert level. Lie on the floor, holding the bag overhead by a handle, then get up on one side, keeping your weight on the opposite forearm. Bag too heavy? Hold it on your shoulder, not in your hand.

“The biggest bang-for-buck exercise of all the sandbag variations, the sandbag Turkish get-up is a great alternative to the conventional Turkish kettlebell or dumbbell get-up because it allows people with limited shoulder mobility to perform the exercises with intensity,” says Allan-Price. “What I like about this exercise is it requires people to think about and co-ordinate their movements: the get-up from the floor to the windmill to the lunge.”

6 Windmill

Hold the bag overhead in one hand, and then bend at the hips, sliding your other hand down one leg.

Super Sandbag Circuits

“I like using sandbags to create circuits,” says Allan-Price. "You could do 40 seconds of clean and press, Zercher lunge and upright row, then rest and repeat. If you want to do strength sets, try using a 30kg bag and supersetting a deadlift with a Turkish get-up.”

The deadlift is an all-time great exercise and one every regular gym-goer absolutely must include in their training programme. However, it is also an exercise that people get wrong with alarming frequency – and when performed incorrectly it can put you at risk of injury, with the lower back being particularly vulnerable.

If you’ve found that your back is unduly sore after knocking out a few deadlift sets, consider sharpening up your deadlift form. In the meantime, try using a trap bar to perform the exercise.

The trap bar was invented by powerlifter Al Gerard as a way to reduce the strain on his back during deadlifts. The hexagonal or diamond shape of the bar allows you to stand inside it and grip the bar with your hands by your sides, rather than having to pick up a straight bar from the floor in front of your feet, which shifts your centre of balance forwards and can lead to back pain as a result.

That makes it a particularly good variation for beginners, because most people don’t stroll into a gym ready to nail the deadlift with perfect form, so it’s a smart move to build strength with this variation first and familiarise yourself with the basic motions.

Since the trap bar version of the move reduces the load on both your back and hamstrings, sticking with a barbell might be a better move if your primary aim with your deadlifts is beefing those up – assuming you’re having no injury problems owing to your perfect form. For many gym-goers, however, the trap bar deadlift is a safer exercise that also builds strength and power in the lower body.

See related

•  How To Deadlift
• How To Master The Romanian Deadlift And Unlock Your Leg Muscles
• How To Do The Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
• How To Do The Stiff-Leg Deadlift
• How To Do The Rack Pull

How To Do The Trap Bar Deadlift

Step into the middle of the trap bar and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Reach down and grasp the handles of the bar, then sit your hips back, lift your chest and shoulders, and raise your gaze so you’re looking in front of you.

Keeping your back flat, stand up by straightening your hips and knees to lift the bar to around mid-thigh height. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the move, before lowering the bar back down with control.

Trap Bar Deadlift Variations

Romanian trap bar deadlift

This variation places more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes than the standard trap bar deadlift. Stand holding the bar at thigh height. Hinge at the hips and move your glutes back as you lower the bar in front of your shins until you feel a good stretch in the hamstrings, then drive back up. Keep a flat back throughout. As with the standard deadlift, using the trap bar for the Romanian deadlift reduces the pressure on your lower back.

Band-resisted trap bar deadlift

Rig up a resistance band to pull against for a harder variation of the deadlift that also ensures you’re working against greater resistance at the top of the exercise when the band is at its most taut. This means you have to focus on the whole lift, rather than putting all your effort into getting the bar moving and then relaxing in the second half of the exercise. If you attach the ends of a looped band to the bar next to the weight plates you can then stand on the band as you lift.

There are plenty of compelling fitness-related reasons to do the overhead press, but first let’s address the obvious: hoisting a heavy weight skywards looks incredibly impressive. However, that can be a downside too, leading some people to attempt the move when they’re not ready for it or use too heavy a weight in an effort to impress.

To help you ensure you’re not one of those people, we’ve sought out expert advice from Wahoo Sports Science’s expert strength coach Jeff Hoobler, who provided a straightforward test to see if you are shoulder mobility and core strength to pull it off. Hoobler also detailed how to perform the overhead press, along with assistance shoulder exercises that will help you build strength in the muscles used in the movement. We also dive into the benefits of adding it into your training plan. But first, let’s clear up a couple of common questions. 

Benefits Of The Overhead Press

“I think the biggest reason to do this move is to load the entire body,” says Hoobler. “Any time you put a weight over your head, you’re doing that. 

“You might be working the shoulders, but the corollary benefit is building core stability and building structural integrity throughout the entire kinetic chain [the system of muscles and joints used to perform a movement].” 

Paired with the right nutrition, the overhead press can help build size and power in the active muscles (the delts, triceps and chest) while strengthening other stabilising muscles like the core and lats. And the pushing motion you’re training with this exercise has excellent transferability to sport-specific skills.

“This one’s a little more specific to sports like American football,” says Hoobler. “It depends on what position you're playing, but if you look at an offensive tackle, they’re pushing all the time, so the overhead press is a very key move.”

How To Work Up To The Overhead Press

The overhead press is a great barbell exercise for building strength and size in your shoulders, triceps and even chest, and you’ll find it featured in our favourite gym workout routines, upper-body workouts and shoulder workouts, but it’s not suitable for absolute beginners.

“It’s a good move but it’s not something that I would have a novice do,” says Hoobler. “I would start with dumbbells, the reason being that some people are very limited in their range of motion at the shoulder.” 

Work on mastering the seated dumbbell shoulder press before you reach for your nearest barbell. Using dumbbells allows you to train a greater range of motion through the shoulder, and using an upright bench will provide stability, making it easier to maintain a neutral spine so you can concentrate on keeping tension through your shoulders when pressing the weight. 

To check you’re ready to attempt the full overhead press, try Hoobler’s quick test below. 

“The requirements for the overhead press are that you have good shoulder mobility, and that you can get both hands straight up over your head keeping a neutral spine. Being able to do this is not as common as we'd like to think.”

How To Do The Overhead Press

If you’ve passed the test above, it’s time to try the barbell overhead press. 

“Your intention for this lift needs to be quality over quantity or load,” says Hoobler. “Timing is key, so pick a weight you can control. For most people, a one-count concentric [lifting] phase and a two or three-count eccentric [lowering] is a good place to start.”

“Start with the barbell in a rack at about chest height,” says Hoobler. “Step into the rack and hold the bar with an overhand grip.” Your hands should be just wider than shoulder-width apart. “Brace your core and drive your hands upwards to press it overhead, maintaining a neutral spine throughout.”

“Keep the bar close to your face as you press upwards, then control it on the way down rather than just letting it fall. It’s a simple lift, you’re just pressing a bar overhead, but it’s difficult to execute if you don’t have the core integrity.” This is why you need to keep your core tight throughout, providing a stable base from which to push from. 

You should also keep your forearms vertical throughout the lift, and avoid flaring your elbows too far out to your side.

You might think the body should stay as still as possible during this exercise, but Hoobler says your torso will naturally move when performing the lift. 

“The body does move, but it moves as a unit. As you press, your chest and head will move backward a bit—if you have poor mobility, your body will move more.

“I like to see people just clear their nose [with the bar], keeping the bar path as straight as possible.”

How To Perfect The Overhead Press

Use this advice from strength coach Andy McKenzie to master the movement.

Take a shoulder-width grip

“The wider apart your hands are on the bar, the weaker you will be and the less weight you will be able to lift. Aim for a grip with hands no wider than shoulder-width apart and keep your elbows directly underneath your wrists to keep you in the strongest mechanical position possible for the lift.”

Mobile wrists are key

“For the strongest press possible you need to have mobile wrists so that they can extend back towards your body,” says McKenzie. “The better the starting position of your wrists, the more able you are to initiate the move with a strong push.”

Squeeze your shoulder blades

“At the start of each rep focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together, then focus on using your shoulders to initiate the lift and get the bar moving. Lower the bar under control, ensuring that your shoulders are fully engaged and managing the weight with good form.”

Adjust your head position

“The bar starts across your upper chest below your chin, so your head must tilt backwards slightly as you push the bar up in the straightest line possible to avoid hitting your chin and nose. As you press the bar up, tilt your head backwards so that the bar just misses your nose on the way up.”

Keep your chest up

“You need to keep your chest up during each rep to maintain a strong and stable upper back, which in turn allows better and smoother movement patterns of all the muscles and joints involved in the lift – especially the shoulders, which are one of the most easily damaged joints in the body.”

Common Overhead Press Mistakes

Flaring your elbows: “It sounds odd when the lift is called the shoulder press but where you place your elbows when lifting makes all the difference,” says Scott Britton, CrossFit and powerlifting athlete as well as the co-founder of charitable fitness competition Battle Cancer. “Try to keep your elbows in front of you when lifting. When your elbows flare out to the sides during an overhead pressing move, this can lead to injury in your triceps and increase the risk of tendonitis.”

Incorrect breathing: “Make sure you take and hold a strong breath just before you press the weight,” says Britton. “Timing your breathing to each repetition will not only keep your body more stable but also help force more oxygen into your muscles to last longer.”

Thumbless grip: Use an overhand grip with your thumb wrapped under the bar to keep it secure. Some people place all five fingers over the bar, but Hoobler warns, “I’ve seen bad things happen when people do that, especially when you have sweaty hands.”

Lifting under fatigue: Lifting under muscular fatigue is a key element of strength and hypertrophy training, but it can lead to lazy form. “As you fatigue, it’s very common to use other muscles to assist your last few reps,” says Hoobler. “A lot of the time, you’ll see people get on their toes for that extra little pop of momentum [as seen in the push press].” Hoobler says this is OK to do if you’re consciously making the switch, just make sure you maintain a neutral spine. 

Overhead Press Variations

Dumbbell overhead press

By using dumbbells you’ll work each side of the body unilaterally, which should ensure that you don’t have any strength imbalances. So even if you’re accomplished at the overhead press you should sub in dumbbells from time to time just to check that both sides are working equally when lifting the bar, rather than one doing the bulk of the work. The dumbbell press can also be beneficial for your joint health because it enlists smaller stabilising muscles to control the weight.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing forwards. Press the weight directly overhead, keeping your elbows below your wrists.

Military press

It’s sometimes confused with simply doing an overhead press with strict form, but the military press actually differs from the standard overhead press in that you bring your feet close together, in the manner of a soldier standing at attention. This means your glutes and core have to work extra hard during the exercise to maintain the stable base required for the lift. Since you’re losing a bit of your lower-body stability with this variation, it’s important to put less weight on the barbell than you would for a standard overhead press.

Push press

The push press allows you to recruit your lower body to help you press the weight overhead, so it’s a great variation for people struggling with the full overhead press. There’s also nothing wrong with switching to it halfway through a set of overhead presses if you become fatigued. Start with the bar on your upper chest, then drop into a quarter squat and drive back up, using the momentum to help you thrust the bar above you.

Thruster

The thruster is similar to a push press, but you lower into a full squat before driving back up and pressing the barbell overhead. It’s a winning combination of the front squat and the overhead press, creating an exercise that challenges muscles all over the body. With so many major muscle groups involved, the thruster also gets your heart pumping hard, making it a great addition to a HIIT workout. However, if you are doing it as part of a circuit, be mindful of your form. There’s no point in losing your shape just to fly through the reps quicker – you’ll risk injury and reduce the benefits of the move.

Kettlebell press

This variation is a good way to make sure that your movement patterns are on point when you press, because the way the kettlebell sits on the back of your wrists encourages you to lift it straight overhead rather than to the side or behind you and putting undue strain on your shoulders.

Hold a kettlebell at shoulder height with your elbow underneath your hand, then press it directly overhead, rotating your arm 90° so your palm is facing forwards at the top of the move.

The standard deadlift and Romanian deadlift are superb leg exercises that build strength along the full length of your posterior chain, from your hamstrings and glutes to your lower back. But once these moves are perfected, it’s worth layering on a single-leg variation to develop your lower-body strength in a more functional, sports-specific way. 

Step forward the single-leg Romanian deadlift (or single-leg RDL for short). Whether performed with just your bodyweight or loaded with a dumbbell, kettlebell or barbell, it’s a challenging, technical exercise that will boost your coordination and balance, while evening out any imbalances of strength between your left and right side.

To drill down into all the dos and don’ts of this tricky exercise, and provide regressions and progressions to suit all levels, we spoke to Waz Ashayer, trainer at fitness app Fiit and group fitness manager at Equinox, NYC. 

How To Do The Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Here we will describe how to do the exercise with a barbell, but it can also be done with a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand or just one, or without any weight at all. It’s certainly worth trying the bodyweight version first to get used to the movement and improve your balance. Doing the move with just your bodyweight is also ideal as a warm-up to prime the muscles before adding weight. Of course, whichever type of free weight you end up using, you’ll want to use far less weight than you would lift in the standard deadlift or Romanian deadlift when you have both legs planted on the ground.

Common Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift Mistakes

Due to its complexity, the single-leg RDL can be a tricky move to get right. Here are some of the most common mistakes Ashayer sees creeping in for both novices and experienced gym-goers. 

Rotating Your Hips

Losing your balance is a telltale sign that the hips have shifted out of position and your bodyweight is lopsided. Ashayer has three easy fixes. 

First, practice this exercise in a B-stance stance, with the toe of your back foot in contact with the floor throughout—also known as a kickstand RDL, a variation that’s detailed below. 

Second, perform as in the form guide above but hold onto a support, like a low bench. 

Third, lower or ditch the weight and focus on keeping your core rigid to solidify your stability.  

Holding Your Neck In An Unnatural Position 

Craning your neck to look forward is another common error that can afflict all deadlift practitioners, likely to keep an eye on their form in the weights room mirror. Rather than looking forward throughout, keep your neck neutral, allowing your gaze to track with your movement. If you must check your form, record a few reps with your phone and watch it back to see where you can improve.

Rounding Your Back 

“If you’re unfamiliar with the technique required to load a deadlift through the hips and posterior chain, a common side effect is a rounding of the spine,” says Ashayer. This puts undue pressure on the lower back and negates the focus of the move. To fix this, he says, remember to keep your back locked in position from your hips to your shoulders, pivoting only from the hips. 

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift Variations, Progressions And Regressions

Few exercises will mimic the unilateral demands of the single-leg RDL, but if you find this version altogether too challenging, even when using just your bodyweight, Ashayer recommends two things. 

Work on your bilateral posterior chain strength with the regular Romanian deadlift, and unilateral glute and hamstring strength with the kickstand RDL, single-leg glute bridge or single-leg gym ball hamstring curl. Once you’re ready to step it up a notch, a staggered stance kettlebell swing or snatch are his go-to progressions to train power and speed in the same movement. 

Romanian deadlift  

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell in front of you with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight throughout, move your shoulder blades back and down, take a deep breath to brace your core, then sit your hips back to lower the bar down your thighs to just above or below your knees, depending on your flexibility. You should feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings at this point. Pause, then press the floor away and drive your hips forward as you exhale to stand tall. Pause, squeeze your glutes hard, then repeat. 

Kickstand Romanian deadlift 

Adopt an off-set stance by stepping one foot slightly behind the other, keeping your front foot flat on the floor and your rear foot on its toes. Your weight should be in your front leg. Maintain a slight bend in your front knee, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in the hand on the opposite side to your leading leg, then push your hips back to lower the weight. Perform all the reps on one side, then switch sides. 

Single-leg glute bridge

Lie on your back with one knee bent and foot flat on the floor, and the other leg straight, raised off the floor, with your knees aligned. Press your lower back into the floor, then drive your hips up as high as you can, squeezing your glutes hard. Pause, then lower to tap the floor and repeat. Perform all the reps on one side, then switch sides. This move can also be performed with your feet elevated on a low box or bench for a greater challenge. 

Single-leg gym ball hamstring curl

Lie on your back with your arms resting on the floor at the sides and your knees bent and heels resting on top of a gym ball. Lift your hips off the floor so your weight is supported by the ball and your upper back. Extend your legs to roll the ball away from you, then lift one heel off the ball, keeping that leg extended while you bend the knee of your other leg to roll the gym ball towards you. You should feel this targeting the hamstring of your bent leg. Extend your leg fully, rolling the gym ball away while keeping the other leg elevated, and repeat.Perform all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

Staggered stance snatch 

Adopt an off-set stance by stepping one foot slightly behind the other, keeping your front foot flat on the floor and your rear foot on its toes. Your weight should be in your front leg. Maintain a slight bend in your front knee, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in the hand on the opposite side to your leading leg. Push your hips back to lower the weight, then drive your hips forward with power to generate momentum to begin lift the weight. As the weight passes your hips shrug the weight up and as it passes your shoulder punch the weight straight up and extend your arm overhead. Carefully return the weight to the start and repeat. Perform all reps on one side, then switch. 

About Our Expert

The lateral raise is one of the best shoulder exercises for those looking to build muscle in their shoulders. It’s also a very simple movement: essentially you just raise weights to the sides and up to shoulder level, then lower them again—though naturally we have some far more detailed advice about perfect form to follow.

However, don’t let that simplicity fool you into thinking you’re in for an easy time. The lateral raise is devilishly hard, even with very light weights. What seems incredibly simple on rep one is absolute murder by rep eight, so pick your weight wisely. If you’re doing this exercise for the first time, choose the weight you think will allow you to complete all the reps with good form—then go lighter. One set shouldn’t take much more than a minute—so why risk an injury for the sake of 12 reps with weights that are too light?

Read on for our comprehensive guide to how to do the lateral raise, including the basics, expert form tips and a couple of variations to try that will round out your shoulder session.

Lateral Raise Benefits

The lateral raise can help you build bigger, stronger shoulders, which should be enough to prompt most to reach for the nearest dumbbells—but the benefits don’t end there. The plus points of the lateral raise extend to increased shoulder mobility, stability and health too. 

Since the shoulder joint is the least stable and most mobile in the body, it’s vulnerable to injury and dislocation. “The lateral shoulder raise is a great way to ensure good shoulder health, because it helps maintain good range of motion in all directions,” says Noelle McKenzie, a certified personal trainer at Leading Edge Personal Trainers in New York City. “If we only train the shoulder one dimensionally, we’re putting ourselves at risk of hurting ourselves, not only during exercise but also during everyday life.”  

The lateral raise can also help improve performance in compound exercises, such as the overhead press and the barbell bench press. And because you’ll need only a fairly light weight for the lateral raise, it’s well suited to exercising at home where you may only have a light pair of dumbbells or a resistance band. 

How To Do The Lateral Raise

Selecting the correct weight is key to doing lateral raises safely. You’ll find that even with  light weights, the last few raises are a real challenge, so there’s no need to grab the heaviest dumbbell. “Trying to lift too heavy is probably the biggest challenge is maintaining good control. Focus on working on form and technique first, rather than increasing load,” says McKenzie.

Stand or sit with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Keep your back straight, brace your core, and then slowly lift the weights out to the sides until your arms are parallel with the floor. Lower the dumbbells slowly and keep them under control. Don’t go beyond horizontal when you’re raising the weights, and ensure you keep your arms out to your sides. If they start creeping forward it’s time to opt for a lighter weight.

A lot of people will cheat by “shrugging” the weights up using their traps. Resist the urge to do that by not raising your shoulder blades during the rep and focusing instead on the delts. “The crucial part of the lateral raise is to control the weight well on both the concentric [lifting the weight] and eccentric [lowering the weight] portion of the movement,” says Sprague.

Lateral Raise Form Tips

1. Don’t use momentum

What “The most common error when performing lateral raises is using your momentum to lift the weight up by swinging the dumbbell,” says Sprague. This is often caused by picking weights that are too heavy.

Why “When you rely on momentum, it can result in you using less of the lateral head of the delt and using your traps instead,” says Sprague. “This is a common fault with a lot of upper-body movements, which can lead to the traps becoming overdeveloped.” Throwing the weights up and down also reduces the control over the weight, which increases the chances of injury or strain.

How If you can’t lift weights without relying on momentum, select a lighter weight, then focus on your form and pacing. You want the movement to be slow and controlled.  

2. Lead with your elbows

What Raise the dumbbells leading with your elbows, so that they’re the highest part of your arm.

Why Ensuring your elbows lead the move will keep the focus on your delts and minimize the stress placed on your rotator cuffs, a small group of delicate but crucial stabilizing muscles.

How Raise your elbows out to the sides, maintaining a slight bend in the joint. Concentrate on how your side delts feel and contract as the weights are raised.

3. Turn your wrists

What As your hands approach shoulder height, rotate your wrist so that your little fingers are uppermost.

Why Turning your wrists as the dumbbells reach the top of the move activates more muscle fibers in your side delts, meaning each rep works the muscle even harder. “But if you turn your palm so that your thumb faces up, it’s going to hit more of the anterior (front) part of the shoulder,” says McKenzie.

How Once your elbows are at shoulder height, turn your wrists as if you were pouring two jugs of water so your little fingers are the highest parts of your hands. Reverse this movement as you lower the weights again. “Make sure not to grip the dumbbell too tightly as this will prevent the recruitment of your forearm muscles,” says Sprague.

4. Go down slower

What From the top of the move, lower the weights back to the start as slowly as possible.

Why Taking your time to lower the dumbbells forces your shoulders to work harder to manage the weight, so you recruit more muscle fibers in order to maintain control. The more muscular damage you do, the greater your growth return. “Manipulating the time under tension helps increase the intensity without increasing the load,” says Kern Alexander, a certified personal trainer at Leading Edge Personal Trainers. 

How Aim for a two-second lowering phase at first, then increase it over time.

5. Raise and stop

What Make a strategic stop just before the top of the move.

Why Adding a pause is great for muscle enhancement. “It’s a way of stopping momentum and increasing the time that you’re spending under the force of gravity pulling directly against the muscle fibers,” says Alexander.

How Before a set of lateral raises, hold the weights just below shoulder height for 10 seconds, then do 10 reps. Repeat three times.

Lateral Raise Variations

Front raise

Why If you get bored with lateral raises (as if that could ever happen) then you can mix things up with front raises. These involve exactly the same movement, but with your arms straight out in front of you, shifting the focus to the anterior or front deltoid.

How Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs with palms facing you. Lift to shoulder level. Lower under control.

“Both of these exercises are equally difficult, but you might be a little stronger doing a front raise,” says Alexander. “That’s because the front delts get a lot of work when you press, and most of us do a lot of pressing movements. So those muscles are usually more developed than the mid delts.”

Resistance band lateral raise

Why The lateral raise is a great exercise to use resistance bands for, because you don’t need much weight to get great results and the bands will provide more of a challenge at the top of the lift. It’s also a gentler option on your joints if you’re worried about any shoulder niggles and, of course, using portable bands means you can get a spot of lateral raising whenever the mood takes you. “A resistance band allows you to maintain resistance throughout the entire range of motion, and you can always adjust the intensity of the band because different bands have different levels of resistance,” says McKenzie.

How Stand on the middle of the band holding one end in each hand, then raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground. Lower slowly, working against the pull of the band.

Reverse flye

Why Also known as the reverse or bent-over flye, this variation puts more focus on your posterior (or rear) deltoids and the muscles in your upper back because of the change in the angle.

How Stand with dumbbells by your sides. Hinge at the hips and bend over until your torso is parallel to the floor, or close to that point, keeping your back straight. Let the dumbbells hang down beneath your chest. Raise the weights out to the sides until your arms are parallel with the ground, then slowly take them back down.

Make sure you don’t rock your body or move any other part of it to create momentum. If you’re struggling to stay still, try the bent-over lateral raise while lying on a bench.

Lateral Raise Workouts

Now you’re au fait with the lateral raise you need some workouts to use it in, and you’ll find these below. Just remember when doing dumbbell workouts that you might need lighter weights for the lateral raise than other exercises.

Shoulder workout routine for size: This challenging shoulder session involves doing rounds of exercises with little to no rest. The first round involves three heavy barbell lifts and the second a trio of dumbbell exercises, including the seated lateral raise.

Superset shoulder workout: This taxing shoulder session starts with a couple of big compound lifts before moving into supersets using lighter weights to work your shoulders from a variety of angles. You’ll need dumbbells, a barbell and weight plates, and access to a cable machine for the workout, so it’s best done in a gym.

Home shoulder workout: If you’d rather build the lateral raise into a home workout, this session just requires one set of light dumbbells. The workout is made up of three sets of the 30/30 push press, followed by a tri-set of shoulder exercises including the lateral raise.

Dumbbell shoulder workout: You can use this short dumbbell workout as a standalone shoulder session or add it to the end of a bigger workout as a challenging finisher. It involves three rounds of three shoulder moves done without any rest, with the lateral raise featuring alongside the reverse flye and Arnold press.

About Our Experts

In these days of budget airlines hand luggage is king. Every regular traveller has a suitcase that pushes the limits of the size allowance for on-board bags without ever exceeding them, because nothing ruins the start of a holiday like having to pay a premium to check your luggage into the hold.

Why are we talking about this? Because this is just one example of how lifting heavy objects overhead is now a key life skill and no exercise prepares you better for this than the shoulder press (also known as the overhead press), which is arguably the best shoulder exercise going. What’s more, compared with the barbell, dumbbell exercises allow you to work each side of your body independently, preventing or remedying any muscle imbalances. 

So if you want strong, broad shoulders that make you the envy of everyone in the cabin, add the dumbbell shoulder press to your gym routine. Check out the form guide below, and remember to come back and thank/shout at us when everyone on your next flight asks you to lift their baggage into the lockers.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Benefits

For many, the dumbbell shoulder press is the exercise for building shoulder strength and size. As a compound movement that recruits the triceps and chest as well as the shoulder muscles, it allows you to move more weight than other shoulder-focused exercises such as the lateral raise or Arnold press. Engaging these muscle groups can help them grow as long as you are following the principles of hypertrophy training. 

The dumbbell shoulder press also has an edge over its barbell equivalent, aside from helping to prevent muscle imbalances. Research published in The Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research found the standing dumbbell shoulder press stimulated more muscle activity in the front and middle parts of the shoulder than its barbell counterpart. 

The study compared electromyogram activity (EMG) in the anterior, medial and posterior deltoids in 15 healthy men during barbell and dumbbell shoulder presses performed both seated and standing. It found EMG in the anterior (front) deltoids was, on average, 15% lower during a standing barbell overhead press than a standing dumbbell shoulder press. It was also 7% lower in the medial deltoid.

How To Do The Dumbbell Shoulder Press

First, select your dumbbells. Don’t go overboard on the weight here, because this is an exercise that suddenly feels very tough halfway through a set. You almost want to feel like you’ve picked too light a weight for the first couple of reps. Opting for too heavy a weight can also mean you risk injury to your shoulders if your form gets sloppy as a result of the load.

Hold the dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing forwards and your elbows out to the sides and bent at a 90° angle. Without leaning back, extend through your elbows to press the weights above your head. Then slowly return to the starting position.

Form Tips

If you’re lifting heavier weights, manoeuvring the dumbbells into the starting position can be tricky. Rest the ends of the dumbbells on your knees, then explosively lift your thighs to kick them into position without putting undue stress on your shoulders and rotator cuffs. 

Another top tip if you’re looking to build muscle is to stop just short of fully locking out your elbows when pressing the weights overhead. This will maintain tension in your shoulder muscles throughout the movement, maximising their time under tension during each rep. 

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Variations

Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Shoulder pressing dumbbells from a seated position – using a bench with an upright back for complete support – allows you to lift heavier than the standing version, something the study mentioned above confirmed. Why’s that? You no longer have to support your torso (the bench takes care of that) so you have a more stable base from which to generate pushing power. As a result you get to grow bigger and broader shoulders. Here’s how to do it.

Sit on an upright bench holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing away from you. Keep your chest up, brace your core and look straight forwards throughout the move. Press the weights directly upwards until your arms are almost straight and the dumbbells are directly above your shoulders. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position, pause, then start the next rep. If you bounce back up from the bottom position, you’re placing greater strain on your shoulders and using momentum to move the weights instead of your muscles.

Always remember to warm up thoroughly when attempting any heavy lifts with your shoulders because the shoulder joint is one of the most intricate and mobile in the human body, making it more susceptible to injury.

Dumbbell push press

For a more dynamic shoulder move, try the push press. This exercise has the added benefit of allowing you to lift heavier weights than a standard shoulder press, although you should only increase the load when you’ve perfected your form. 

Stand holding dumbbells next to your shoulders with your elbows pointing to the sides. Bend your knees to lower into a quarter squat, then push up through your heels and press the weights above your head, using the momentum generated by your legs to complete the movement. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders.

Hammer shoulder press

For this variation, change your grip so that your palms are facing each other while lifting the dumbbells. This change in grip recruits different muscles in the shoulders and can also put less pressure through the joint than the traditional method, so if you’re looking to reduce the stress on your shoulders while still strengthening them, the hammer variation is one to consider.

Dumbbell thruster

While in the push press you drop into a quarter squat before pressing the weights overhead, the thruster incorporates a full front-racked dumbbell squat to create an incredibly demanding total-body movement. It’s a terrific compound exercise that works muscles all over the body – hard. Popular in CrossFit and HIIT workouts, it can also be a great conditioning tool if you combine lighter weights and high reps, which will spike your heart rate while boosting your muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness. 

Holding the weights by your shoulders, drop into a squat until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, then drive back up by pushing through your heels and press the dumbbells overhead. 

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Workouts

So now you know how to pull off the perfect shoulder press, but who heads to the gym, does a few sets of one exercise and hits the showers? No-one. What you need is some workouts which include the move you’ve just learned, and we have plenty of suggestions. If you’re just starting out, it’s a great option to use in our beginner’s gym workout template, but you’ll find it used in lots more workouts too. Here are a few to consider.

Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

Be prepared to sweat with this session, which mixes weights with cardio. The routine switches between upper-body and leg exercises, interspersed with bouts on the treadmill. It’s a great conditioning workout.  

See the full-body dumbbell workout

Dumbbell Workout Plan

One entire workout in this training plan is dedicated to your shoulders (the other three focus on your chest and back, arms, and legs and abs), and that testing session begins with the dumbbell shoulder press. 

See the dumbbell workout plan

21s Workouts

This three session plan uses partial reps for certain exercises, including the dumbbell shoulder press, to maximize muscle fatigue, and therefore growth. Just make sure you pick a lighter weight than you usually would, because this is an advanced technique. 

See the 21s workouts

Superset Shoulder Workout

If you have plenty of training experience and have been hanging on for a gym workout that focuses on your shoulders, and only your shoulders, your patience has paid off. This six-move workout begins with straight sets of two barbell exercises, followed by two supersets. Pro tip: don’t stash your kit in a locker above head height. 

See the superset shoulder workout

Sure, biceps curls are appealing. They do help you get bigger arms. But it’s hard to retain enthusiasm for the gun-growing move when it appears in your workout schedule for the 1,001st time. Instead, you may want to swap it for, say, the reverse-grip bent-over row, which will help you to build T-shirt filling biceps while also sculpting a broad back and a core that will be more resistant to injuries. You see, the moves on this list aren’t just for show – they all offer compelling reasons to be added to your gym toolkit, whether that’s developing stronger glutes for better structural integrity, enhancing shoulder stability for unrivalled praessing power, or opening up your hips and thoracic spine for perfect posture.

Single-arm barbell press

Why This lift will really help to develop your shoulder stability because all the small muscles of the shoulder joint have to work extra hard to control the weight, which keeps shifting because of the length of the bar.

How Hold an Olympic bar (which weighs 20kg) in the middle with one hand. Position it on one shoulder, then press it directly overhead, aiming to make its path as vertical as possible. Any lateral deviation will make it harder to control the weight. Lower slowly under control and repeat. Do an even number of reps on each side.

Glute bridge kettlebell chest press

Why You might not think that your glutes come into play when you’re performing a bench press, but engaging these key muscles gives you a stable base from which to press a heavy weight. Pressing the weights alternately will develop your ability to resist being pulled out of alignment.

How Position yourself with your shoulders on a Bosu ball holding a kettlebell at each shoulder. Perform a glute bridge by contracting your glutes and pushing your hips upwards. Press one kettlebell up and then, as you start to lower it, press the other kettlebell. Repeat that pattern, pressing the weights alternately.

Snatch-grip overhead press

Why This variation of the overhead press emphasises the middle shoulders and traps, both of which are key to giving you a muscular appearance.

How Take a double shoulder-width grip on an Olympic bar and position it on the front of your shoulders. Press the bar directly overhead, ensuring that your elbows are directly below the bar to help you press it up efficiently. Lower under control and repeat.

Barbell overhead lunge

Why Performing a lunge while holding a bar overhead will force you to maintain an upright torso, which prevents you from bending forwards through your thoracic spine. This will be beneficial when it comes to doing heavy squats and deadlifts.

See related 

• 5 Chest Exercises That Are Better Than The Bench Press
• A Very Different Kind Of Bodyweight Workout

How Take a narrow grip on an Olympic bar, then press it overhead. From there, take a big step forwards and simultaneously bend both knees until they are bent at 90°. Ensure that your front knee is over your front foot and your back knee skims the floor. Press through your front foot to return to the start, then repeat the move on the other side.

Reverse-grip bent-over row

Why Switching your grip in the bent-over row will bring your biceps into play. You may find that you can lift slightly less weight than on the conventional version, but you should still aim to maintain perfect form.

How Take an overhand shoulder-width grip on a barbell and hinge forwards at the hips. Bend your elbows, keeping them tight to your sides, and pull the bar up to your bellybutton. Imagine you’re trying to squeeze an orange between your shoulder blades. Then return the bar to the start.

If your Christmas traditions involved settling down to watch burly men achieve incredible feats on The World’s Strongest Man, you’ll likely be familiar with the farmer’s walk, or the giant farmer’s walk as it’s known on the show. The hulking behemoths that compete for the title generally carry an absurd 160kg in each arm.

The current Guinness world record for the fastest farmer’s walk uses slightly more modest 150kg weights and is competed over a distance of 20m, with Laurence Shahlaei from the UK currently topping the charts with a time of 6.73 seconds. So far, so what has this got to do with you? Well…

“Loaded carries such as farmer’s walks are now receiving appropriate recognition within the wider strength training community, having previously been in the exclusive realm of the World’s Strongest Man contest,” says strength and conditioning coach Jack Lovett (spartanperformance.co.uk). “And it’s about time too, because these lifts are simple to perform and extremely effective at providing a multitude of benefits simultaneously.”

These benefits include developing a strong core brace, which ensures the spine remains neutral by protecting against both shear and compressive forces; enhanced proprioception (your sense of where your body parts are positioned), because you must move with the load while maintaining a braced core; increased willpower and focus, because loaded carries are tough to do; and, of course, muscle growth because of the extended period of muscular tension, especially in the upper back, forearms and legs.

“If you never perform any type of loaded carry then you are missing out on all the above benefits from a single exercise,” says Lovett. “They are the epitome of training efficiently. In terms of simple impact, [US strength coach] Dan John rates loaded carries as the number one ‘game changer’ for athletes. I couldn’t agree more, and they will work just as well for the non-athlete too who wants to increase strength and muscle mass.”

The farmer’s walk is the original loaded carry and the easiest to perform. You can use dumbbells, kettlebells, regular barbells, a trap deadlift bar or specific farmer’s walk handles. Here’s how to do it.

How To Do The Farmer’s Walk

Stand tall with weights held by your sides. Keep your shoulders tight and your back straight. Take short, quick steps as you walk a set distance, which will likely be limited by the size of your gym, unless you really are a farmer and have the luxury of a field.

It can be tricky to get the weight right, but given that you’re just holding it by your side, you can carry a hefty amount. Start off with some of the heavier dumbbells and kettlebells (20 to 30kg), and if that’s not enough of a burden, grab a small barbell and load it up. Some gyms will have special farmer’s walk barbells or handles you can strap onto the heavier disk weights.

Walking for a longer distance in one go or increasing the amount of walks will also ramp up the challenge.

See related 

• Strongman Training For The Gym
• A Strongman Champion Reveals How To Beast Tyre Flips

Farmer's Walk Variations

Zercher Carry

And if you still want a hypertrophy benefit from your strength work, try the Zercher carry, where you walk with a barbell in the crook of your arms. To perform a Zercher carry, take a barbell out of a rack by positioning it in the crook of your arms. Brace your core before you lift and keep your torso upright throughout the move. If you need to put a pad on the bar to protect your arms, that’s fine. Walk either for a set distance or for time – 40 seconds will provide a good challenge.

Kettlebell Carries

If your gym doesn’t have standard farmer’s walk handles, kettlebells make for a more than handy replacement. They have shorter handles and, thanks to their shape and size, are much easier to keep stable. While this may not call upon as much core strength, it acts as an excellent precursor for progression. Kettlebells are also great for grip strength.

One-Arm Carry

A tricky test of core strength, the one-arm farmer’s walk is the natural progression from the standard two-arm version. In addition to the trap- and back-building benefits garnered from the standard carry, this variant recruits much of the core abdominal fibres in order to stabilise the body. One-arm lifts are also a great way to iron out any muscular imbalances.

Inverted Kettlebell Carry

If your shoulders are feeling battered and bruised from a heavy benching session or too much time at a desk, then give the inverted kettlebell carry a try. Holding a single kettlebell in one arm upside down by its handle, brace your core and keep a neutral spine. This move activates the rotator cuff muscles like no other carry, and the rotator cuffs are crucial for shoulder mobility and range of motion.

So building a bigger chest is on your agenda. That’s fair enough. The same can be said for many of us who regularly hit the gym. But before you make a beeline for the bench press, understand that there is another way to strengthen your chest and promote new growth in the pecs. That way is via the often-overlooked dumbbell flye.

The dumbbell flye targets all areas of the pecs, but most significantly the sternal fibers—those that attach directly to your sternum. Growth in this particular region creates the defined chest separation look associated with all your muscle-bound heroes. 

The move is also better at stimulating pectoral growth than the flat bench press. What’s more, you don’t have to lift anywhere near as heavy, and since there’s almost always a wait for bench press stations at the gym during busy times of the day, this offers a viable alternative when time is of the essence. 

Despite its long list of benefits, it’s also an exercise that’s commonly misunderstood. To make sure your immaculate form is the talk of the gym, we’ve spoken to strength and conditioning coach Ryan Horton of Horton Barbell. 

Here you’ll find his expert how-to guide to master proper dumbbell flye form, along with common pitfalls to avoid and his rule on when you should deploy this chest exercise and when you should stick to the bench press. 

How To Do The Dumbbell Flye

To do this move, you need a pair of dumbbells and a flat weight bench, or one set at a very slight incline.

The Set-Up

Sit on one end of a bench with the dumbbells resting on your thighs. “Lie back, using your legs to help ‘pop’ the dumbbells to your chest, then press them straight up over your chest,” says Horton. 

The Lower

“Turn your wrists so your palms face each other over the top of your chest. There should be a slight bend in your elbow,” says Horton. “From here, lower the dumbbells out to your sides until they are level with your torso.”

The Return

Once you feel a gentle stretch in your pecs, while you maintain a slight bend in your elbows, you’ve reached the lowest point of the lift. “When you reach this point, squeeze and contract your pecs to bring your arms back to the starting position over the top of the chest,” says Horton. 

Dumbbell Flye Form Tips

Avoid the arch

You may see elite-level powerlifters arch their back when performing chest exercises like the bench press. Don’t attempt to emulate them—remember that the goal of powerlifting is moving a weight from A to B with sufficient force. Your goal is to recruit and target muscle fibres to elicit new growth.

Keep your elbows bent

Be sure not to straighten your arms fully and lock them out. This takes the emphasis off the pectoral muscle fibers and channels the load you are lifting into the elbow and shoulder joints. This increases injury risk and doesn’t activate the chest enough.

Don’t overstretch

Be careful not to let your elbows drop too low at the bottom of the rep. Overstretching during this part of the movement could injure your shoulders and reduce the amount of work the pec muscles do. Horton says you should go by feel because one person’s range of motion could be wildly different from another’s. “You’re looking for a slight stretch in the pec. Once you feel that, contract your muscles and bring the dumbbells back to the top of the lift.”

Benefits Of The Dumbbell Flye

The number one benefit of the dumbbell flye, over and above all other chest exercises, is muscle growth, explains Horton. However, it should be used wisely and rarely in isolation. 

“The dumbbell flye is a good chest exercise to use towards the end of your upper-body workouts as a way to add volume and focus on hypertrophy for the pec muscles,” he says. 

But if your goal is strength, power and dynamism for a particular sport, it should only be used as a supplementary exercise. “It’s more of what I consider a bodybuilding-type movement, rather than one to aid sports performance.”

Dumbbell Flye Variations

Incline dumbbell flye

The incline flye targets the top of the pecs more than the flat version of the exercise does and it’s the variation used in our gym-based chest workout plan. To do it, set your bench up at an incline of around 30°. Then lie back and perform the flye as you would with a flat bench, paying extra care not to overstretch when you bring the weights down.

Gym ball dumbbell flye

To make the dumbbell flye a heck of a lot harder and enlist all manner of other muscles in the movement, try performing the move while resting your back on a gym ball rather than a bench. Because you’re supporting your shoulders and back on an unstable surface, muscles all over your body have to work throughout the exercise to keep your body upright, which means you improve your balance and core strength on top of the chest-building benefits of the flye itself.

To perform this variation pick a lighter dumbbell than normal, then rest your shoulders and back on the top of a gym ball with your feet planted firmly on the ground.

About Our Expert

This three-workout strength programme focuses on three key lifts, the back squat, deadlift and overhead press. Each one is the star of a workout, and we’ve selected those moves because they’re the most effective for building whole-body strength. The supporting cast includes moves that will prime your body to perform big lifts, as well as assistance exercises that either target key muscle groups in the big lifts or develop the core strength you need to be able to lift with solid form.

Follow the set, rep and rest instructions for each move to get the maximum benefit. Do each workout once a week for six weeks, aiming to increase the amount you lift each time you complete the workout. And always make a note of how much you lift in each

Workout 1: Squat

1 Kettlebell goblet squat

Sets 3 Reps 10 Rest 45sec

Why This will get you moving in the right way to gear up for your main lift of the session, the barbell squat. It’s a fairly light way to ease into the session, which will allow you to focus on depth. Having the weight in front of you also encourages you to keep an upright torso.

How Hold a kettlebell by the horns in front of your chest. Simultaneously hinge at the knees and hips to lower as far as you can, keeping your weight on your heels and mid-foot. Return to the start and repeat.

2 Jump squat

Sets 3 Reps 5 Rest 60sec

Why This explosive move will activate your fast-twitch muscle fibres, priming your nervous system so you get maximum muscle fibre recruitment when you perform the heavy sets on the next exercise. The rep count is low because this is about quality of movement rather than exhausting your target muscles.

How With feet shoulder-width apart, squat down, then explode up to jump as high as you can. Land softly and go straight into the next rep.

3 Back squat

Sets 4 Reps 10, 8, 6, 4 Rest 90sec-2min

Why This is the main move of the workout, so it demands maximum focus. The squat is one of the most effective strength-building exercises you can do. The rep count is lower with each set so you should aim to increase the weight you lift in each set so that you can only just complete the reps. This means you do some hard work in the valuable strength-building lower rep range. You get more rest than usual to allow your body more recovery so you can lift the maximum weight possible.

How With the bar on your back and your feet shoulder-width apart, simultaneously bend at the hips and knees to lower towards the floor. Squat as low as you can, keeping your weight on your heels and mid-foot and your chest up. Push your elbows forwards to engage your lats and prevent your spine from bending.

4 Plank

Sets 3 Time 60sec Rest 60sec

Why A heavy squat requires a strong core to keep your torso upright. This move will build strength and stability across the whole of your abs, lower back and deep-lying core muscles.

How Get into position with your body in a straight line from head to heels and your elbows directly below your shoulders. If your hips are too high that will take tension off the core muscles. If they are too low it will put strain on your lower back.

Workout 2: Deadlift

1 Kettlebell swing

Sets 3 Reps 10 Rest 45sec

Why When done properly, the kettlebell swing is a hip hinge rather than a squatting movement. Drilling that movement pattern will help you engage your hamstrings and maintain good form during a heavy deadlift.

How Hold the bell in two hands, swing it back between your legs and then straighten up with a hip snap. The key to a good swing is hingeing at the hips and straightening up powerfully so that the hip drive, rather than your arms, is responsible for moving the weight.

2 Deadlift

Sets 4 Reps 10, 8, 6, 4 Rest 90sec-2min

Why The deadlift is arguably the most effective whole-body strength and muscle builder. It also focuses on your posterior chain - the muscles on the back of your body, which many people leave undertrained but play a key role in promoting good posture and keeping you injury-free.

How Set up so you grip the bar with an overhand grip just wider than shoulder-width apart. Initiate the movement by loading your hamstrings and straightening your knees. Once the bar is past your knees you can straighten up.

3 Romanian deadlift

Sets 4 Reps 6-8 Rest 60sec

Why After your heavy deadlift sets this is a good way of developing the hamstring strength needed to improve your deadlift. It’s technically a lot easier than the deadlift so you’ll be able to go reasonably heavy even when your muscles are tired.

How Hold a barbell with an overhand grip just outside your thighs. Hinge at the hips to send the bar down the front of your thighs, ensuring that the bar stays close to you throughout the lift. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, then straighten back up and contract your glutes at the top of the move.

4 Hip thrust

Sets 3 Reps 10 Rest 60sec

Why Strong glutes are vital for a big deadlift and this move targets them directly.

How Rest your upper back on a bench and hold the barbell on your hips. Push your hips towards the ceiling as far as you can while squeezing your glutes together. Lower your hips under control, then repeat.

5 Bent-over row

Sets 3 Reps 10 Rest 60sec

Why You can’t hit a big deadlift if you have a weak back and this move is great at strengthening your larger back muscles.

How Hold a bar with an overhand grip and bend at the hips to let the bar hang down at knee height. Pull your elbows back to bring the bar up to your bellybutton, then lower back to the start.

Workout 3: Overhead Press

1 Kettlebell press

Sets 3 Reps 5 each side Rest 45sec

Why This move will warm up your shoulder joint, which is a complex joint and can get injured easily. The single-sided nature of the move means that your stabilising muscles must activate to control your movement.

How With your elbow below your wrist and the kettlebell resting on the back of your wrist, press the weight directly overhead. Lower back to the start under control. Swap sides after five reps.

2 Overhead press

Sets 5 Reps 5 Rest 90sec-2min

Why Being able to press a heavy weight overhead is a good sign that you have structural integrity in your shoulders and upper spine as well as good core strength.

How Start with the bar on the front of your shoulders with a grip that’s just wider than shoulder width. Squeeze your glutes to give yourself a stable base and to activate your core, then press the weight overhead. Lower under control. Only lower the bar to just below chin height to avoid internally rotating and overstressing your shoulders.

3 Push press

Sets 3 Reps 10 Rest 60sec

Why This exercise is a good way of fully fatiguing your shoulders after they’re no longer able to complete strict overhead press reps.

How Start with the bar on the front of your shoulders with a grip that’s just wider than shoulder width. Bend at the knees slightly, then straighten up and use the momentum to assist pressing the bar overhead. Lower under control.

4 Barbell roll-out

Sets 3 Reps 6-8 Rest 60sec

Why A good overhead press requires you to be strong in the core, particularly when your arms are above your head. This dynamic movement mimics that position to give you a direct abdominal strength benefit.

How Start on your knees with your shoulders above the bar and your arms straight. Contract your abs, then roll the bar out in front of you. Go as far as you can, then roll the bar back to the start.

Photography: Ben Knight; Model: Greg Cornthwaite

At a glance, the Z-press looks easy. Popularized by the Lithuanian strongman Žydrūnas Savickas, this exercise is basically an overhead press performed while sitting on the floor with your legs straight. But don’t let its simplicity fool you. The Z-press requires strength in your shoulders and core, plus flexibility in your hamstrings and hip flexors, and there’s no way to cheat. Without a doubt, the Z-press takes pride of place among the best shoulder exercises for developing mobility, stability and co-ordination. 

However, your technique needs to be on point if you want to reap all the benefits of the Z-press. Good form is also crucial to avoid painful shoulder injuries and reduce unnecessary strain on your lower back. To help you master the Z-press, we asked strength and mobility experts to share their best training tips. Read on for top-notch advice on how to perform this challenging movement safely and effectively.

Z-Press Benefits

The Z-press is much more than a bodybuilding exercise. “The Z-press mimics the position in all sorts of push exercises. It really builds a lot of stability inside the shoulder,” says Cody Mooney, a former CrossFit Games athlete and the director of performance for the mobility and recovery app pliability. As a result, incorporating this exercise into your workout routine can help you master more complex movements, such as a handstand push-up. 

The Z-press is also a useful exercise if you want to increase your mobility, especially around your thoracic spine and shoulder blades. That’s according to Mitch Raynsford, a certified strength and conditioning coach at P3RFORM, a digital fitness coaching platform. “I always advocate using strength training to improve range of motion,” he says. “If you just do mobility and flexibility exercises, you can be flexible throughout the range of motion, but you might not be strong in those ranges, top and bottom.” 

How To Do The Z-Press

Sit upright, gripping the bar with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Aim to keep your hamstrings flat on the floor so your lower back remains tight. Press the bar overhead and push your head through the window created by your arms at the top of each rep—this’ll keep your shoulders healthy. 

“Same as with the push-up, go for a 45° angle with the elbows. Pressing slightly in front of you is going to allow you to work more towards front delts rather than getting pinched through the shoulders. Make sure to keep your shoulder blades retracted and depressed,” says Raynsford. And absolutely do not lean back during tough reps or break the sitting position when you’re not lifting.

“Hyperextending can place a lot of stress on the lumbar spine. Make sure you’re able to keep that neutral spine throughout the exercise,” says Raynsford. Resist the urge to break your form by tightening up your core muscles and pressing your hips into the ground. 

Z-press Form Tips

1. Switch To Dumbbells

Why “I’m a big fan of using dumbbells during the Z-press, because you can’t overcompensate on one arm,” says Mooney. “With a barbell, you sometimes start using more of your dominant arm. And because dumbbells take away some of the stability, your shoulders need to work all those little stabilizing muscles too.” 

How Since the dumbbell Z-press is slightly more difficult than the barbell Z-press, make sure you go for lighter weights.  

2. Slow Down On Your Way Down

Why “One of the best ways to increase intensity is to go slow on your way down. Increasing the time under tension fatigues your shoulder without the need to use a ton of weight,” says Mooney. 

How “You can get creative and mix your rep scheme or the descent time—there are many different ways to build muscles without the fear of hurting yourself,” says Mooney. For example, lower your bar on a count of three.

3. Don’t Skimp On Safety Measures

Why The Z-press is a challenging movement, so make sure you have safety measures in place. 

How “Keep safety bars close at hand. If you can’t rack it, then ask someone to spot you so the barbell doesn’t land on you,” Raynsford said.

Z-Press Vs Overhead Press

Both the Z-press and the overhead press involve lifting a bar above your head to build mass and strength in the shoulder muscles. However, the difference in lower-body position changes muscle engagement. “In the Z-press, there’s more focus on your thoracic mobility and a lot more stress through your shoulders and triceps than with a normal overhead press,” says Raynsford. “You’re not allowed to cheat in any way—you have to do it correctly. If you don’t, then the barbell is not going up.” As a result, the Z-press is a better choice for more advanced exercisers, but even seasoned gym-goers will need impeccable mobility to perform this exercise safely. 

Another notable difference is the maximum possible load you’ll be able to press. The overhead press allows you to put more weight on the bar. That means if shoulder strength is at the top of your priority list, you may be better off ditching the Z-press in favor of the overhead press.

On the other hand, the Z-press may be a better option if you struggle to isolate your shoulders. “If you have a tendency to flex your knees or your hips during a standing overhead barbell press, a bit of the work will come from your legs. By doing the Z-press, you take out all of that legwork, and rely on your rear delts,” says Raynsford. “So there’s no way of really cheating it.”

About Our Experts