Shoulders · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Alternate Side Press
How to do the dumbbell alternate side press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand or sit tall holding a dumbbell at shoulder height with a neutral or overhand grip. Press one dumbbell straight overhead until your arm is fully extended, then lower it as you press the other side. Alternate arms with control, keeping your torso braced so it does not lean toward the working side.
- 1Front and side delts driving the dumbbell straight overhead
- 2Core staying braced so your torso does not tip side to side
- 3Triceps locking out the arm at the top of each press
Common mistakes
- Leaning or bending toward the resting arm to help the press
- Over-arching your lower back as the weight goes up
- Letting your wrist bend back; keep it stacked over the elbow
Muscles worked
The dumbbell alternate side press mainly works the front delts and triceps, with the side delts, forearms, upper chest, upper traps, upper abs, and obliques assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell alternate side press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.