How to do a Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is a unilateral variation of the more standard shoulder press. Like the shoulder press, this exercise primarily targets your shoulders. By holding the kettlebell in one hand, you add some instability to the movement, as well as make it easier to identify and address imbalances between sides.
- Position a kettlebell between your legs with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and angled out slightly.
- Clean the kettlebell with your left arm into a racked position at shoulder height keeping your forearm and wrist vertical to the ground and elbow tucked into your side.
- Keep your core braced as you extend your left arm overhead while rotating the palm to face forward.
- Lower the kettlebell to the starting position and repeat with the opposite side.
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Average Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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Alternative Exercises to Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press
1. Standing Single Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
65.4 mSCORESWAPPED 27 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Similar to other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By performing this exercise one side at a time, you add some instability to the movement, as well as ensuring that you aren’t compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides. Performing this exercise while standing can help make this exercise more functional, as well as force you to further recruit your core to maintain good form and posture.
2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 22 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for slightly more instability than with equipment like barbells. This can help you recruit and develop stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. In addition, by using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
3. Single Arm Bottoms-up Kettlebell Press
46 mSCORESWAPPED 14 TIMESThis exercise is a unilateral variation on the standard shoulder press. By using a single kettlebell you can more easily identify and address imbalances between sides. In addition, by holding the kettlebell in a bottoms-up position, you add instability to the movement which can improve muscle activation.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
4. Kettlebell Overhead Press
46.2 mSCORESWAPPED 13 TIMESKettlebell Overhead Press is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. By performing the exercise one hand at a time, you add some instability to the movement, and will need to recruit your core for stability.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
5. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
86 mSCORESWAPPED 13 TIMESStanding Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other Shoulder Press variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By using dumbbells, you add more instability to the movement which can help recruit smaller stabilizing muscles around your shoulder. In addition, by performing this exercise while standing you add even more instability.
6. Barbell Shoulder Press
97 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMESBarbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By using a barbell instead of other pieces of equipment, you can add more stability to the movement, which allows you to focus more on exertion rather than stability. This is one of the best exercises for developing vertical pressing strength.
7. Kettlebell Upright Row
75.4 mSCORESWAPPED 10 TIMESKettlebell Upright Row is a variation on the more standard Upright Row. This compound exercise primarily targets your shoulders. The benefit to using a Kettlebell is the ability to pull the handle in opposite directions at the top of the movement. This can help improve muscle activation compared to other variations.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
8. Kettlebell Snatch
79.3 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESKettlebell Snatch is a variation on the more standard Snatch. Similar to Snatch, this is a compound explosive movement that targets a wide range of muscles throughout the body. Because you’re performing this exercise with one arm at a time, it requires more core activation than some other variations, and can be a great way to improve stability. In addition, this is a great way to identify and address imbalances between sides in your Snatch. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to work towards, or simply improve their Snatch.
- Advanced
- Shoulders
- Kettlebells
9. Machine Shoulder Press
92.5 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESis a variation on the more standard shoulder press that utilizes a machine. Like other shoulder presses, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of the machine restricts your movements, and adds more stability. This allows you to focus more on exertion than stabilization. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to learn the basic movement, and develop the strength needed for other similar exercises or functional applications.
- Beginner
- Shoulders
- Shoulder Press Machine
10. Single Arm Overhead Press
46.7 mSCORESWAPPED 8 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other Shoulder Press variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By performing this exercise one side at a time, the exercise becomes less stable, which can lead to further recruitment of smaller stabilizing muscles in the shoulder. Standing while pressing the weight overhead forces you to recruit your core for stability, as well as making the exercise more inline with developing functional strength.