Exercise movement reviewed by:Marie Braga, PT, DPT, CSCS

How Iridium Programs This

Iridium identifies this as an anterior-delt dominant vertical push and checks your sub-muscle-group fatigue to ensure your front delts have recovered from recent horizontal pressing. The system tracks your RPE and weight trends to ensure progressive overload is occurring despite the increased stability demands of single-arm work. If your exercise rotation preference allows for high variation, Iridium may substitute this for barbell presses to reduce total systemic fatigue while maintaining specific muscle stimulation.

Form Cues

Sit tall with your feet planted firmly on the floor
Hold the dumbbell with a neutral grip, palm facing your ear
Brace your core tight to resist leaning to the side
Press the weight vertically until your arm is fully extended
Lower the dumbbell under control back to shoulder height

Don't

Don't arch your lower back to push the weight up
Don't lean away from the working arm to counterbalance
Don't flare your elbow out wide to the side
Don't use momentum or leg drive to initiate the press
Don't let the dumbbell drift forward or backward at the top

Common Mistakes

Leaning sideways to lift heavy
Flaring the elbow outward
Hyperextending the lower back
Shortening the range of motion
Rushing the lowering phase

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily isolates the anterior deltoids (front shoulders), providing focused tension without the joint stress often associated with wide-grip pressing. It also heavily recruits the triceps for lockout strength and engages the obliques and deep core muscles to maintain an upright torso against the offset weight.