Photo from The Weider System of Bodybuilding
This exercise, made popular by Arnold Schwarzenegger, stresses the same muscle groups as the Dumbbell Shoulder Press but somewhat more intensely and with a greater range of motion. It's a bit more difficult and you should be careful when first attempting it, but it's a very effective exercise for the deltioid muscle group.
I recommend that when you first attempt to do this exercise, that you grab a light weight and slowly go through the range of motions just to get the feel for the exercise and understand how it works.
Performing the exercise:
- Starting position: (photo left) bottom of the movement - grasp two dumbbells, palms face inward (towards your body) and elbows more or less at your sides
- Top of the movement (photo right) - as you press the dumbbells upward, slowly rotate your hands and arms so that your palms face outwards (away from your body) during the mid range of the movement.
- You can see this in the above 2 photos - botom and top portions of each movement
- At the top of the movement, you are in the same position as a regular dumbbell deltoid press. You may first want to try the traditional dumbbell shoulder press, as well as a varition of it, the hammer shoulder press with dumbbells. They are both easier to do before attempting this exercise plus it will strengthen your shoulder muscles for this exercise Also, do not lock your arms at the top of the movement
- Now lower the weights slowly back to the starting position and repeat for desired reps.
- Breathing is very important when weight training. Breathe out as you raise the dumbbells and breathe in as you lower.
- Do 4 sets of 12 repetitions.
Recommended Bodybuilding Book:
A book which I purchased years ago and I still highly recommend is The Weider System of Bodybuilding. Before the Internet, it was a book I constantly referenced back to. It is one of the few books that I occasionally refer back to right now. A book - money well-spent on! By Joe Weider & Bill Reynolds.
This is an excellent book for anyone who is interested in weight training. It's ideal for both novice and experienced bodybuilders. For men and women interested in stregthening and toning their bodies and incorporating weight training exercises into their fitness routines. The book is divided into two sections. The first section describes different training principles and techniques. The second section lists by chapter the many different weight training exercises available for each muscle group. Each chapter begins with a photo of a bodybuilder and the anatomy of the particular muscle group that will be discussed followed by detailed instructions on how to carry out particular exercises. This is done through photos and clear and concise descriptions of each exercise broken down into the following headings: main area of emphasis, method of performance, variations and training tips. What I really like about this book is that there are a lot of different and varied exercises in this book which helps to keep your weight training workouts interesting and varied. There is a superb abdominal section and expert advice and opinions from bodybuilders are provided throughout the book. I guarantee that this book will be read, re-read and referenced for years to come.
