Cuban Press
How to do the Cuban Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Shoulders
Traps
Dumbbell
How to do the Cuban Press
- 1
Take a dumbbell in each hand with a pronated grip in a standing position. Raise your upper arms so that they are parallel to the floor, allowing your lower arms to hang in the "scarecrow" position. This will be your starting position.
- 2
To initiate the movement, externally rotate the shoulders to move the upper arm 180 degrees. Keep the upper arms in place, rotating the upper arms until the wrists are directly above the elbows, the forearms perpendicular to the floor.
- 3
Now press the dumbbells by extending at the elbows, straightening your arms overhead.
- 4
Return to the starting position as you breathe in by reversing the steps.
- 5
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
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Every Cuban Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.
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Cuban Press: common questions
What muscles does the Cuban Press work?
The Cuban Press primarily works the Shoulders. It also recruits the Traps as supporting muscles.
Is the Cuban Press suitable for beginners?
The Cuban Press is an intermediate-level exercise. It's best once you've built a base of general strength and movement control, beginners can work up to it.
What equipment do I need for the Cuban Press?
To do the Cuban Press you'll need a dumbbell.
Is the Cuban Press a compound or isolation exercise?
The Cuban Press is a compound exercise, it moves multiple joints and works several muscle groups at once, which makes it efficient for building overall strength.
How do I do the Cuban Press with correct form?
Take a dumbbell in each hand with a pronated grip in a standing position. Raise your upper arms so that they are parallel to the floor, allowing your lower arms to hang in the "scarecrow" position. This will be your starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
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