Single-Arm Machine Shoulder Press

Muscles worked by the Single-Arm Machine Shoulder Press

Primary

Front DeltsAnterior DeltoidSide DeltsLateral Deltoid

Secondary

TrapsTrapeziusTricepsTriceps Brachii

Also called: front deltoid, anterior delt, front delt, anterior deltoid, side deltoid, lateral delt.

Equipment

Shoulder Press Machine

Also called: overhead press machine, military press machine, seated shoulder press, iso-lateral shoulder press, hammer strength shoulder press, plate-loaded shoulder press.

How to do the Single-Arm Machine Shoulder Press

1. Adjust the seat so the working handle starts around shoulder height and sit with your back firmly against the pad.
2. Grip one handle with the wrist straight and keep the free hand on the support or resting comfortably.
3. Press the handle upward without leaning away from the back pad or rotating the torso.
4. Lower the handle under control until the elbow is just below the starting line, then repeat.
5. Complete the repetitions on one side, adjust the seat if needed, and train the other side.

Form tips

• Start with the weaker arm and let it set the weight and repetitions for both sides.
• Keep the ribs down and the back against the pad instead of turning the press into a standing side bend.
• Stop short of a painful shoulder position; the machine path should feel controlled from bottom to top.

At a glance

Single-Arm Machine Shoulder 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": "single-arm-machine-shoulder-press",
  "name_en": "Single-Arm Machine Shoulder Press",
  "name_de": "Einarmige Schulterpresse an der Maschine",
  "name_es": "Press de hombros unilateral en máquina",
  "description_en": "A unilateral seated machine shoulder press that lets one arm press independently while the back stays supported and the machine controls the resistance path.",
  "description_de": "Eine einarmige sitzende Schulterpresse an der Maschine, bei der jede Seite unabhängig drückt und der Rücken gestützt bleibt.",
  "description_es": "Un press de hombros unilateral sentado en máquina que permite empujar cada brazo por separado mientras la espalda permanece apoyada y la máquina guía la resistencia.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "beginner",
  "equipment": "shoulder_press_machine",
  "body_part": "shoulders",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "anterior_deltoid",
    "lateral_deltoid"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "trapezius",
    "triceps_brachii"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "push_day",
    "knee_safe",
    "no_axial_load",
    "lower_back_safe"
  ],
  "variation_group": "overhead-press",
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Adjust the seat so the working handle starts around shoulder height and sit with your back firmly against the pad.",
    "Grip one handle with the wrist straight and keep the free hand on the support or resting comfortably.",
    "Press the handle upward without leaning away from the back pad or rotating the torso.",
    "Lower the handle under control until the elbow is just below the starting line, then repeat.",
    "Complete the repetitions on one side, adjust the seat if needed, and train the other side."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Stell den Sitz so ein, dass der arbeitende Griff etwa auf Schulterhöhe startet, und lehne den Rücken fest an das Polster.",
    "Greife einen Griff mit geradem Handgelenk und lege die freie Hand bequem auf die Stütze.",
    "Drücke den Griff nach oben, ohne dich vom Polster wegzulehnen oder den Oberkörper zu drehen.",
    "Senke den Griff kontrolliert ab, bis der Ellbogen knapp unter der Ausgangslinie steht.",
    "Beende die Wiederholungen auf einer Seite und trainiere anschließend die andere Seite."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Ajusta el asiento para que el agarre de trabajo comience cerca del hombro y apoya firmemente la espalda en el respaldo.",
    "Sujeta un agarre con la muñeca recta y deja la mano libre sobre el soporte.",
    "Empuja el agarre hacia arriba sin separarte del respaldo ni girar el torso.",
    "Baja el agarre bajo control hasta que el codo quede justo por debajo de la posición inicial.",
    "Completa las repeticiones de un lado y después entrena el otro lado."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Start with the weaker arm and let it set the weight and repetitions for both sides.",
    "Keep the ribs down and the back against the pad instead of turning the press into a standing side bend.",
    "Stop short of a painful shoulder position; the machine path should feel controlled from bottom to top."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Beginne mit der schwächeren Seite und lass sie Gewicht und Wiederholungen für beide Seiten bestimmen.",
    "Halte die Rippen unten und den Rücken am Polster, statt in eine seitliche Ausweichbewegung zu gehen.",
    "Stoppe bei einer schmerzhaften Schulterposition; der Maschinenweg sollte kontrolliert bleiben."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Comienza con el brazo más débil y deja que marque el peso y las repeticiones de ambos lados.",
    "Mantén las costillas abajo y la espalda contra el respaldo en lugar de inclinarte hacia un lado.",
    "Detén el movimiento ante una posición dolorosa del hombro; el recorrido de la máquina debe sentirse controlado."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/single-arm-machine-shoulder-press-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/single-arm-machine-shoulder-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 === "single-arm-machine-shoulder-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.