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Dumbbell Scott Press
Larry Scott's hybrid press that keeps the elbows forward and sweeps them out through a partial press, holding continuous tension on the lateral and front delts.
ShouldersDumbbellVertical press
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-scott-press
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Lateral deltoidsAnterior deltoids
Secondary
TricepsUpper trapeziusRotator cuff
Equipment
Dumbbell
Pattern
Vertical press
Setup
- 01Sit or stand with light dumbbells held at shoulder height.
- 02Start with palms facing you and elbows pulled in front of the body, dumbbells nearly touching.
- 03Tilt the dumbbells slightly so the pinky side is higher.
- 04Brace the trunk and keep the ribs down.
Execution
- 01Press the dumbbells up and out while rotating the palms to face forward.
- 02Sweep the elbows from in front of the body out to the sides as you press.
- 03Stop short of lockout with the elbows just above shoulder height.
- 04Reverse the path, rotating back to palms-in with elbows forward at the bottom.
Checkpoints
- -Elbows travel from front to side in one smooth arc each rep.
- -The press deliberately stops short of full lockout to keep tension on the delts.
- -The dumbbells stay close to the head through the middle of the arc.
- -The torso stays upright without a backward lean.
Common mistakes
- -Locking out at the top and resting the load on the skeleton.
- -Using heavy dumbbells that force a straight-line press with no rotation.
- -Letting the elbows drop far below shoulder height at the bottom.
- -Arching the lower back to press the weights up.
Programming notes
- -Use 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with notably lighter dumbbells than a standard press.
- -The constant tension makes it a strong hypertrophy movement after heavy overhead work.
- -Slow, controlled reps matter more than load; treat it like a raise-press hybrid.
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