Shoulders · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Standing Behind Back Shoulders Press
How to do the dumbbell standing behind back shoulders 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 tall holding a pair of dumbbells behind your head at the base of your neck, palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells straight overhead until your arms extend, then lower them back behind your head under control.
- 1Shoulders driving the dumbbells straight up overhead
- 2A stretch across the front of the shoulders at the bottom
- 3Core braced and ribs down to keep you upright
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower back to push the weight up
- Letting the dumbbells drift forward instead of pressing vertically
- Pressing into a position your shoulders cannot reach comfortably
Muscles worked
The dumbbell standing behind back shoulders press mainly works the front delts, with the triceps, side delts, upper traps, and upper abs assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell standing behind back shoulders 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.