How to do a Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with 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.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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- beginner8reps20lbs1 Rep Max25lbs
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Alternatives & Variations to Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press
1. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
86 mSCORESWAPPED 28 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.
2. Dumbbell Shoulder Raise
97.8 mSCORESWAPPED 23 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise and can work well for building muscle mass and strengthening the shoulders. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 17 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.
4. Kettlebell Overhead Press
46.2 mSCORESWAPPED 14 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 Single Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
65.4 mSCORESWAPPED 14 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.
6. Single Arm Bottoms-up Kettlebell Press
46 mSCORESWAPPED 13 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
7. Single Arm Overhead Press
46.7 mSCORESWAPPED 9 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.
8. Kettlebell Upright Row
75.4 mSCORESWAPPED 8 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.
9. Kettlebell Halo
26.5 mSCORESWAPPED 8 TIMESKettlebell Halo is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. The exercise involves raising a kettlebell, and circling your head with it. This is a great exercise for improving shoulder mobility in both the short and long term, and can be a great warm up exercise for anything that requires a lot of shoulder mobility. Because the kettlebell isn’t always inline with your center of mass, it requires some core stabilization.
10. Barbell Shoulder Press
97 mSCORESWAPPED 7 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.