Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Dumbbell One Arm Press on Exercise Ball: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The dumbbell one arm press on exercise ball is a unilateral chest exercise that also challenges your core and balance by performing the movement on an unstable surface. It targets the pectorals while also engaging the shoulders, triceps, and core muscles.

Primary muscles
Chest
Equipment
Dumbbell
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the dumbbell one arm press on exercise ball
Front view: muscles worked by the dumbbell one arm press on exercise ball. Primary: chest. Secondary: obliques, shoulders, abs and triceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the dumbbell one arm press on exercise ball. Primary: chest. Secondary: obliques, shoulders, abs and triceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the dumbbell one arm press on exercise ball

  1. Step 1: Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Step 2: Hold a dumbbell in one hand and position it at shoulder height, with your elbow bent and palm facing forward.
  3. Step 3: Slowly press the dumbbell upward until your arm is fully extended, while keeping your core engaged and maintaining balance on the exercise ball.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the dumbbell one arm press on exercise ball by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Dumbbell One Arm Press on Exercise Ball alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.