I decided to adopt the famous Arnold press every day for a week in an attempt to sculpt a set of shoulders even Arnie would be proud of. Y Feed my curiosity, could it make a difference to my shoulders?
But curiosity killed the cat, and East the training almost killed me. The Arnold press has become a household name over the years, created by bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger. His variation of the overhead dumbbell shoulder press has been widely adopted by CrossFitter enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and casual gym-goers in an attempt to build powerful shoulders like the man whose name is on the exercise tag.
So why is it so popular? Unlike other shoulder exercises (this full body dumbbell workout is a killer), the Arnold press works all three heads of the deltoids (shoulder): front, side, and rear. The unusual yet simple movement pattern recruits more frontal muscles simply by rotating your palms and works the muscles longer so you can build more for less.
Our fitness team has tried a few arm workouts on each other, like the blogila arm exercises without weight — but 50 Arnold presses a day? That’s a new one. If you’re looking for other ways to get creative with fitness, The Rock’s Arms and Abs Workout is punishing, or read on to see what happened when I did 50 Arnold presses a day for a week.
How to make an arnold press
If you plan to branch out from the usual bench pressgrab a couple of best adjustable dumbbells and try it yourself: here it is how to do an arnold press with the proper form.
It’s worth noting that you should always consult with a healthcare professional if you have a shoulder injury. I recommend doing this exercise sitting against a bench, or kneeling, to reduce pressure on your lower back if you experience back discomfort. And if you suffer from shoulder impingement (when the supporting rotator cuff muscles rub against the humerus of the arm), this exercise is unfortunately not possible.
How: Engage your core. Stand with your palms facing you and hold the dumbbells in a biceps curl position close to your chest. From here, press the dumbbells overhead and turn your palms to face out at the top. Then simply reverse the steps back to your starting position. Done.
Arnold press vs shoulder press
Unlike the shoulder press, the arnold press It works all three parts of the deltoids, making it an all-round champion shoulder. The main working muscles are:
- anterior deltoids
- Lateral deltoids
- rear deltoids
- triceps
A dumbbell shoulder press primarily works the front of the shoulders and chest, including:
- anterior deltoids
- Lateral deltoids
- Pectoralis major (your pecs)
- triceps
While the overhead shoulder press is best if you suffer from shoulder pain, it works less well with the lateral and posterior heads of the shoulders. Regardless, both are killer compound shoulder exercises that work multiple muscle groups in one quick press. If she’s short on time, Arnold Press is her new best friend.
I Did 50 Arnold Presses A Day For A Week: This Is What Happened To My Shoulders
I decided to challenge my shoulder strength. This is what happened when I did 50 Arnold presses a day, for a week.
1. 50 reps felt like a lot of reps
I did 5 sets of 10 reps with the same weight as my military press. Hypertrophy (muscle building) takes 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, so while the reps were in the upper range, it wasn’t an outrageous number.
However, I rarely put All this I work to isolate my shoulders, and I was definitely too heavy. Because your muscles are working longer, the Arnold Press is still enormously effective at a lower weight. Not only were my DOMs in full effect in the days that followed, but removing my sports bra became a competitive sport.
2. My shoulders feel stronger but look the same
By the end of the week, I could feel my body becoming more comfortable with the movement pattern and weight of the Arnold Press, and I began to feel noticeably stronger, even though I physically couldn’t tell the difference. Of course, building muscle mass and strength is much more complex than it seems.
Principles such as progressive overload (gradual adaptation of variables such as repetitions or weights), abundant protein intake, sleep hygiene management Y The variety of exercises plays an important role, but you can gradually build muscle and strength week by week.
However, sculpting the shoulders of a goddess will partly involve losing body fat along with building muscle (learn how to calculate your body fat percentage and why it is important), and this time I wasn’t on a fat loss mission. I won’t be entering a bodybuilding competition any time soon, but my overhead press has already improved.
3. My training turned meditative
Getting through the first few days was the hardest. By the end of the week, I was comfortable with the rep numbers, sets, and weights, and the routine became meditative. I generally wouldn’t recommend my clients perform an exercise every day with high repetitions (unless they have a specific goal) because it can lead to boredom and plateaus or lead to overuse and injury.
However, it turns out harvard (opens in a new tab) has a name for it: muscle meditation. Moving muscle groups repetitively and rhythmically can help reduce stress, and because you focus on your breath, this can also help regulate your nervous system.
4. I could have overworked my muscles
Research (opens in a new tab)show your muscle ‘micro tears’ during exercise, which is why you experience muscle pain the next day. Rest days and sleep are key times for muscles to repair and grow, so they must be allowed to recover.
Exercise variety and rest days are two ways to combat overtraining to prevent strains and more serious injuries. With that in mind, maybe it’s time to give the Arnold press a break. I wonder if Arnie pumped 50 a day.
Next: These are the 3 best dumbbell workouts for triceps Y how to do military press for strong shoulders military style.
