The dumbbell rear lateral raise is an isolation exercise targeting the rear deltoids, with secondary emphasis on the traps and rhomboids. It is performed by hinging at the hips and raising dumbbells out to the sides, focusing on shoulder movement.
Also Works
TrapsRhomboids
How to Perform
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
2
Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
3
Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the floor.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Maintain a flat back with your torso at 45-70 degrees forward and raise the dumbbells laterally with a slight elbow bend.
•Focus on initiating the movement from the rear delts, not from swinging the torso or shrugging the traps.
•Use a controlled tempo of 1 second up and 2 seconds down to maximize time under tension on the rear delts.
Common Mistakes
•Standing too upright, which turns this into a standard Lateral Raise targeting the side delts instead of the rear delts.
•Using excessive body momentum by bobbing the torso up and down with each rep.
•Raising the arms too high past parallel, which shifts the workload from the rear delts to the upper traps.