Shoulders / Beginner / Isolation (single joint)

Chest-Supported Rear Delt Raise

A bent-over dumbbell raise with the head or chest supported on an incline bench that isolates the rear delts and upper back.

At a glance

Primary

Rear delts

Secondary

Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps), Side delts, Rotator cuff

Equipment

Dumbbells, Bench

Movement pattern

Reverse fly, Shoulder-blade squeeze

Level

Beginner

Type

Shoulders, Isolation (single joint)

How to do it

1. Stand behind an incline bench, hinge forward and rest your forehead on the top of the pad so your back is roughly parallel to the floor.
2. Let the dumbbells hang straight below your shoulders with a slight bend in the elbows.
3. Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are level with your shoulders.
4. Pause briefly, squeezing the shoulder blades, then lower under control.

Tips

• Keep the elbow angle fixed; do not turn it into a row.
• Lead with the elbows, not the hands.
• Use light weight and avoid swinging the torso.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Swinging the torso up to lift the weight.

  Why it hurts: The lower back takes repeated jerks and the rear delts barely work.

  ✓ Instead: Support the chest on a bench or keep the torso still, and use light weights.

• ✗ Shrugging and squeezing the shoulder blades hard.

  Why it hurts: The traps take over and the neck gets tight.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the shoulders down and move the arms out wide, leading with the elbows.

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