Shoulders · Bodyweight
Forward Side Top Presses
How to do the forward side top presses, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall with your fists at shoulder height and your core braced. Press both arms forward, return, press them out to the sides, return, then press them overhead, cycling through all three directions. Keep each press controlled to build shoulder endurance through a full range.
- 1Your shoulders working through every angle of the press
- 2Your side delts loading hard on the lateral press
- 3Your core staying tight to anchor the torso
Common mistakes
- Shrugging your shoulders into your ears on the overhead press
- Arching your lower back when you press up
- Letting the arms drift below shoulder height on the side press
Muscles worked
The forward side top presses mainly works the front delts and side delts, with the triceps, upper chest, upper traps, and upper abs assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- Side DeltsPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the forward side top presses 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.