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Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

Rear delts Upper backTraps Isolation Dumbbell
Demo (loops)

How to do it

Starting position

  1. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Bend your knees slightly, push your hips back, and hinge your torso forward.
  3. Bend forward deeply until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.
  4. Let your arms hang down and bend your elbows slightly.

Movement

  1. Raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder height.
  2. Don't open your chest, and think about moving only your rear delts.
  3. Pause briefly at the top and squeeze.
  4. Slowly lower down and maintain tension all the way to the end.

Breathing

Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower.

Cautions

  • If your upper body gradually rises, your traps work instead of your rear delts.
  • If you bounce with momentum, the exercise loses its effect even with a light weight.
  • If your lower back rounds, bend your upper body forward less and bend your knees more.

Exercise info

Primary musclesRear delts
Secondary musclesUpper back · Traps
EquipmentDumbbell
Movement patternIsolation
Rep range12–20 reps
7 similar exercises

Representative exercise: Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

How GYMKC sets the weight for this exercise

For example, if you do 12 reps with 12 kg in each hand and log that you could have done about 2 more, GYMKC estimates your 1RM per hand at about 18.8 kg.

With the dumbbell, each step is 2 kg (5 lb), so the next weight is 14 kg per hand. Within your 12–20 reps target, the sets you log decide whether to add reps first or add weight.

These numbers are an example of how the calculation works. Your actual prescription is recalculated every set from your own records. See how the calculation works

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Related exercises

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This information is based on our analysis of public content from evidence-based training experts in Korea and abroad. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Weights and sets differ from person to person. The GYMKC app uses the sets you log to calculate the weight and reps for your next set.