Exercise guide
Dumbbell Single Arm Clean And Press
- Advanced
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Lower legs
- Shoulders
- Upper arms
- Upper legs
This explosive full-body movement builds power, coordination, and unilateral strength by transitioning a weight from the floor to overhead. It integrates the posterior chain for the clean with the shoulders and triceps for the overhead press.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with a single dumbbell on the floor between your feet.
- Hinge at the hips and bend your knees to grip the dumbbell with one hand, keeping your back flat and chest up.
- Extend your non-working arm out to the side or keep it clear of your body to help maintain balance.
- Engage your core and look straight ahead to set a neutral spine.
How to do it
- Explode upward by driving through your heels and extending your hips and knees while simultaneously shrugging the working shoulder.
- Pull the dumbbell vertically close to your body, then quickly rotate your elbow underneath the weight to 'catch' it at shoulder height in a front-rack position.
- Inhale to stabilize, then exhale as you drive the dumbbell overhead by extending your arm until the elbow is locked out.
- Lower the dumbbell back to your shoulder with control, then hinge at the hips to return the weight to the floor for the next rep.
Form checklist
- Keep the dumbbell close to your midline during the pull to prevent it from swinging outward.
- Ensure your back remains flat and does not round during the initial pull from the floor.
- Drive through the legs to generate the momentum needed for the clean phase.
- Keep your core braced throughout the press to prevent your torso from leaning or arching.
- Stack your wrist directly over your elbow and shoulder at the top of the press.
Pro tips
- Focus on 'taming the arc' by keeping the dumbbell's path as vertical as possible to maximize efficiency.
- Use the 'catch' at the shoulder as a brief transition point to reset your breath before the overhead drive.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the press to provide a stable base for your spine.
Make it harder
- Perform a 'Strict Press' after the clean, removing all leg assistance to increase the demand on the deltoids.
- Increase the speed of the eccentric (lowering) phase to the floor to challenge your core stability and deceleration power.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the dumbbell single arm clean and press work?
- The dumbbell single arm clean and press primarily targets the deltoids, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius, and also works the abs, biceps, erector spinae, obliques, rotator cuff, and triceps as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the dumbbell single arm clean and press?
- The dumbbell single arm clean and press uses dumbbell.
- Is the dumbbell single arm clean and press good for beginners?
- The dumbbell single arm clean and press is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Dumbbell BurpeeIntermediate · deltoids, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, and triceps
- Snatch High PullAdvanced · biceps, deltoids, erector spinae, forearms, glutes, grip muscles, hamstrings, lats, and trapezius
- Barbell Clean And JerkAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Barbell Snatch PullAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, trapezius, and triceps