Cuban Press

The Cuban press combines three movements into one continuous rep: an upright row, an external rotation, and an overhead press, done with light dumbbells to specifically train shoulder stability and rotator cuff health rather than raw pressing strength. Pull the dumbbells up to shoulder height like an upright row, rotate your forearms upward until the dumbbells point overhead, then press straight up to lockout, and reverse the whole sequence back down. Because it trains the shoulder through several stability-demanding transitions in one movement, it's usually done for higher reps with modest weight rather than heavy loading.

1. Pull the dumbbells up to shoulder height in front of you, like an upright row
2. Rotate your forearms upward until the dumbbells point toward the ceiling
3. Press the dumbbells straight overhead to lockout, then reverse the sequence back down

• Rushing through the rotation phase instead of controlling it deliberately
• Using a weight heavy enough that shoulder stability, not control, becomes the limiting factor

• Seated version to remove any body momentum
• Single-arm version performed one side at a time for extra stability demand