Guest Editorial
By Kerry Moynihan
Fit for life after 50
Certified Personal Trainer
Am I the only one amused by the often inventive and entertaining names used for exercises in the fitness world? Deadlifts, Skull Crushers and Crunching, to name just a few, create bone-chilling imagery as you’re just trying to get that pain-free one hour workout in. Or Inchworms, Bird Dogs and Flutter Kicks which have us daydreaming of Earth’s renewal on a lovely May morning rather than working that core to its max.
Regardless of name or the imagery created, only one man can lay claim to having a fabulously effective exercise named just for him…..no bone-chilling moniker, nothing Spring Day about it. It’s The Arnold Press.
Seven time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger, created the Arnold Press during his illustrious bodybuilding career in the early 1970’s. He can still lay claim as one of the most successful and influential figures in bodybuilding and is credited with inventing this press which targets the anterior, lateral and posterior deltoids (three shoulder muscles). Think: Summer Shoulders.
As with any exercise, form first.
To start: Seated position. Back straight. Feet planted on the floor. Keep core tight and braced throughout.
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Start with a very manageable weight to get the motion of the exercise.
Curl the weights up to the shoulders. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing the body.
In a controlled manner, slowly press the dumbbells simultaneously upwards and rotate your hands to a forward position until you have fully extended your arms upward. Slowly (with control) lower the weight down by reversing the exercise and repeat the movement.
The true work of the Arnold Press is the downward motion of the weight returning to the starting position.
Not guaranteeing a Mr. or Ms. Olympia title, but when you master the proper mechanics of the Arnold Press, it truly is a great addition to your upper body workout.
Kerry Moynihan
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
