Dumbbell Cuban Press

Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing out. Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height, keeping your elbows close to your body. Rotate your forearms so that your palms are now facing up. Press the dumbbells overhead, fully extending your arms. Reverse the movement and bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Dumbbell Cuban Press

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Cuban Press using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your rotator cuff.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your rotator cuff rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Dumbbell Cuban Press

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