First up is strength.While I truly believe the barbell overhead press is the best choice there are reasons why you may not be able to perform the exercise. Injury, lack of access to equipment are just a few. Just because we don’t have a barbell doesn’t mean we have to go without getting the benefits of this great movement. In order to get the most out of the dumbbell option, make sure you perform this exercise standing and not in the seated position. The seated overhead dumbbell press interrupts scapular rhythm and provides a ‘cheat’ in the form of added stability from the use of a bench. The strict dumbbell standing press is a great exercise for building strength but don’t be surprised when the added stability challenge requires you to use less weight than what you can on the barbell version.