The Dumbbell Curl to Press is a compound exercise that targets the biceps and shoulders.

  1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides.
  2. Perform a bicep curl by lifting the dumbbells towards your shoulders.
  3. Once at shoulder level, rotate your palms forward and press the dumbbells overhead.
  4. Lower the dumbbells back to shoulder level and then to your sides to complete one rep.

How to perform the Dumbbell Curl to Press

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Curl to 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 pectoralis major.
  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 pectoralis major 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 Curl to Press

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