Standing Palms-In Dumbbell Press
What you'll gain
Keeps the upper arms more in front of the body, which many shoulders tolerate better than a wide press.
Still trains the delts and triceps through a full overhead lockout.
Gives libraries a grip variant without inventing a new movement family.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Stand with feet about hip to shoulder width and a dumbbell in each hand.
- 2
Rack the bells at the shoulders with palms facing each other, elbows pointing forward-down.
- 3
Brace the trunk so the ribs stay stacked.
- 4
Press both bells overhead, keeping the palms in and the path slightly in front of the face.
- 5
Lower both bells back to the shoulder rack without flaring the elbows wide.
- 6
Repeat, keeping the wrists stacked over the elbows.
Common Mistakes
Rotating the palms forward mid-rep so the clip becomes the standard press.
Flaring the elbows out wide, which loses the close-grip path.
Arching the low back to finish lockout instead of bracing.
Letting the bells drift behind the head, which the close grip does not want.
About This Exercise
The palms-in standing press is the same overhead pattern as a standard dumbbell press, but the handles stay parallel. The parent standing-press page targets shoulders, lists triceps, uses dumbbells, and grades the pattern beginner with a palms-forward start. Staff notes on that page treat a palms-facing-each-other grip as a legitimate variation of the same press. A second library still lists front deltoid as primary with triceps and side deltoid helping. The approved still shows hex bells at the shoulders, palms in, elbows closer to the ribs than the palms-forward sibling. That is the whole difference this slug exists to show. For apps it belongs next to the palms-forward standing press so a coach can pick the grip the shoulder actually tolerates.
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A standing overhead press with palms facing each other, so the bells travel in a closer, more forward path.
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Specifications
Built for
- Shoulder blocks that offer a palms-in option beside a palms-forward press.
- Push templates for users who report front-shoulder irritation on a wide press.
- Dumbbell collections that need a standing hammer-grip overhead clip.
- App libraries that already ship the palms-forward standing press and need this sibling.
Muscles Worked
Details
License Includes
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