Shoulders · Overhead press
Single-Arm Cable Shoulder Press
The Single-Arm Cable Shoulder Press mainly trains your front delts and side delts. Also working: triceps and obliques.
One cable
Stable
How to do it
- Stand close beside the tower, working arm toward the pulley
- Handle at shoulder height, free hand on your hip or on the frame
- Press straight up without leaning away
- Lower slowly, then switch sides
Coach’s tip
With one arm you notice right away which shoulder is weaker: start with that one and only match its reps with the strong side. Your obliques have to work hard to hold you steady.
Noticeably loads the shoulder. If you tell DCFT that this joint bothers you, the app leaves exercises like this one out and picks a better supported alternative.
Setup
Pulley
Pulley at the bottom
Grip
Single handle, one arm
Load
One cable
You need
Single handles
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (overhead press). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Single-Arm Cable Shoulder Press work?
Mainly the front delts and side delts. The triceps and obliques help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Single-Arm Cable Shoulder Press?
Pulley: Pulley at the bottom. Grip: Single handle, one arm.
What can I do instead of the Single-Arm Cable Shoulder Press?
For the same movement: Cable Shoulder Press, Seated Cable Shoulder Press and Kneeling Cable Shoulder Press. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Single-Arm Cable Shoulder Press in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.