Dumbbell Curl and Press

Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Curl and Press

Primary

Front DeltsAnterior DeltoidBicepsBiceps Brachii

Secondary

BrachialisSide DeltsLateral DeltoidTrapsTrapeziusTricepsTriceps Brachii

Also called: front deltoid, anterior delt, front delt, anterior deltoid, bicep, biceps brachii.

Equipment

Dumbbell

Also called: db, dumbell, hex dumbbell, rubber dumbbell, hand weight.

How to do the Dumbbell Curl and Press

1. Stand tall with the feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with the palms facing forward.
2. Curl both dumbbells up to the shoulders, keeping the elbows close to the body.
3. Press the dumbbells overhead until the arms are fully extended.
4. Lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders under control.
5. Lower them to your sides with a controlled reverse curl, then repeat.

Form tips

• Brace the abdominals and keep the ribs down so the press does not turn into a back bend.
• Do not swing the weights up with the legs; use a load you can curl strictly.
• Press in a slight arc so the dumbbells finish directly over the shoulders.

At a glance

Dumbbell Curl and Press in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Arnold Press
• Barbell Overhead Press
• Behind the Neck Press
• Bodyweight Overhead Press
• Double Kettlebell Overhead Press
• Double Kettlebell Push Press
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Machine Shoulder Press

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "dumbbell-curl-and-press",
  "name_en": "Dumbbell Curl and Press",
  "name_de": "Kurzhantel Curl and Press",
  "name_es": "Curl y Press con Mancuernas",
  "description_en": "A standing compound movement that links a dumbbell curl to an overhead press: the weights are curled to the shoulders and then pressed straight overhead before being lowered. It works the biceps and shoulders in one smooth repetition.",
  "description_de": "Eine stehende Verbundübung, die einen Kurzhantel-Curl mit einem Überkopfdrücken verbindet: Die Gewichte werden zu den Schultern gecurlt und dann gerade über den Kopf gedrückt, bevor sie wieder abgesenkt werden. Sie trainiert Bizeps und Schultern in einer flüssigen Wiederholung.",
  "description_es": "Un movimiento compuesto de pie que une un curl con mancuernas y un press por encima de la cabeza: las mancuernas se suben en curl hasta los hombros y luego se empujan en vertical sobre la cabeza antes de bajarlas. Trabaja los bíceps y los hombros en una sola repetición fluida.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "equipment": "dumbbell",
  "body_part": "shoulders",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "anterior_deltoid",
    "biceps_brachii"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "brachialis",
    "lateral_deltoid",
    "trapezius",
    "triceps_brachii"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "arm_day",
    "shoulder_focus",
    "knee_safe",
    "no_axial_load"
  ],
  "variation_group": "overhead-press",
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Stand tall with the feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with the palms facing forward.",
    "Curl both dumbbells up to the shoulders, keeping the elbows close to the body.",
    "Press the dumbbells overhead until the arms are fully extended.",
    "Lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders under control.",
    "Lower them to your sides with a controlled reverse curl, then repeat."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Steh aufrecht, die Füße hüftbreit, in jeder Hand eine Kurzhantel seitlich am Körper, die Handflächen nach vorn.",
    "Curl beide Kurzhanteln zu den Schultern und halte die Ellbogen nah am Körper.",
    "Drück die Kurzhanteln über den Kopf, bis die Arme vollständig gestreckt sind.",
    "Senke die Kurzhanteln kontrolliert zurück zu den Schultern.",
    "Lass sie dann in einem kontrollierten umgekehrten Curl an die Seiten absinken und wiederhole."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Colócate de pie con los pies a la anchura de las caderas, sujetando una mancuerna en cada mano a los lados del cuerpo con las palmas hacia delante.",
    "Sube ambas mancuernas en curl hasta los hombros, manteniendo los codos pegados al cuerpo.",
    "Empuja las mancuernas por encima de la cabeza hasta extender del todo los brazos.",
    "Baja las mancuernas de nuevo a los hombros de forma controlada.",
    "Bájalas a los costados con un curl inverso controlado y repite."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Brace the abdominals and keep the ribs down so the press does not turn into a back bend.",
    "Do not swing the weights up with the legs; use a load you can curl strictly.",
    "Press in a slight arc so the dumbbells finish directly over the shoulders."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Spann die Bauchmuskeln an und halte die Rippen unten, damit das Drücken nicht zum Hohlkreuz wird.",
    "Schwing die Gewichte nicht mit den Beinen hoch; wähle ein Gewicht, das du sauber curlen kannst.",
    "Drück in einem leichten Bogen, sodass die Kurzhanteln direkt über den Schultern enden."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Contrae el abdomen y mantén las costillas abajo para que el press no se convierta en un arco de espalda.",
    "No lances los pesos con las piernas; usa una carga con la que puedas hacer el curl de forma estricta.",
    "Empuja describiendo un ligero arco para que las mancuernas terminen justo sobre los hombros."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/dumbbell-curl-and-press-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/dumbbell-curl-and-press-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "dumbbell-curl-and-press");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.