If you want to build the kind of broad, muscular shoulders that can best the predator and control an entire class of kindergarten-age children, then it might be the right time to take a leaf out of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s manual training. Yes, you should start building shoulders with the Schwarzenegger’s patented lifts. Actually, the Arnold press lets you go lighter at the end of the workout to exhaust the biceps.
For those who might have no clue about what we are talking about, Arnie’s take on the dumbbell overhead press recruits all three sections of your deltoids. By this we are merely talking about the round muscles at the top of your upper arms. This action is aimed at making sure you build fuller, wider, more defined shoulders, and improve your posture to boot.
That’s not to say you should go too heavy with the weight to have your Arnold press muscles worked out. And this is easy to see since the exercise keeps your muscles under tension longer than barbell presses and the standard overhead presses. For this reason, you’ll be stimulating plenty of new muscle growth despite the lighter weights.
The good thing about the Arnold press form is that it also hits neglected muscles and helps you up your game when it comes to other lifts. While the anterior deltoids get plenty of work from press-ups and bench presses, the medial and posterior often get neglected. Things tend to be different with the Arnold press as it works all these evenly together with the stabilizer muscles.
With this workout, it is highly recommended that you start light until your master the form. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arm bent. Now rather than pushing straight up, be sure to spread your arms to each side laterally, then press your arms up and twist your arms up so your palms face forwards.
To attain a full range of motion, be sure to finish by pushing your head forward and reaching as high as you can. That way, your biceps will be close to your ears. This is just what you need to get the most from the Arnold press form. By not rotating, you can also lift slightly heavier weights than in Arnold’s variation.
In short, keep the above and other tips in mind before you give the Arnold press a try the next time you hit the gym.
Olivia Wilson has helped several global brands, which get heard across the digital space, through result driven content & social media marketing efforts. Studying blockchains and cryptocurrencies makes her hopeful of a free and decentralized future.