Iron Cross — starting position, working the shoulders

Iron Cross — end position, working the shoulders

How to do the Iron Cross

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	shoulders
Secondary	chest, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, quads, traps
Equipment	dumbbell
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	compound

No dumbbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clean and Press Barbell One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk Kettlebell Handstand Push-Ups Bodyweight Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style) Kettlebell Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style) Kettlebell Shoulder Press - With Bands Resistance Bands

Easier than the Iron Cross

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Anti-Gravity Press beginner · Barbell Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise beginner · Barbell Battling Ropes beginner · Other Equipment

Harder than the Iron Cross

Push Press expert · Barbell Handstand Push-Ups expert · Bodyweight Circus Bell expert · Other Equipment

Superset the Iron Cross with

Opposing middle back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Middle Back Shrug middle back Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row middle back Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In middle back Dumbbell Incline Row middle back

Common questions

What muscles does the Iron Cross work?

The Iron Cross primarily works the shoulders, with the chest, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, quads, and traps as secondary movers. Clean and Press, Log Lift, and Clean and Jerk train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Iron Cross?

Dumbbells. Without dumbbells, Clean and Press, One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk, and Handstand Push-Ups train the same muscle, and 10 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Iron Cross suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Anti-Gravity Press, Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise, and Battling Ropes and work up.

Where should the Iron Cross go in a workout?

Early — the Iron Cross is compound, working 7 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Middle Back Shrug and Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row later.

Similar exercises

Clean and Press Barbell Log Lift Other Equipment Clean and Jerk Barbell Landmine Linear Jammer Barbell One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk Kettlebell Circus Bell Other Equipment

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