Shoulders / Beginner / Isolation (single joint)

Lying Rear Delt Raise

A two-arm rear lateral raise performed face down on a bench that isolates the rear delts.

At a glance

Primary

Rear delts

Secondary

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

Equipment

Dumbbells, Bench

Movement pattern

Reverse fly, Shoulder-blade squeeze

Level

Beginner

Type

Shoulders, Isolation (single joint)

How to do it

1. Lie face down on a raised flat bench with your arms hanging down, a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Bend your elbows slightly and keep them fixed.
3. Raise both arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
4. Lower under control and repeat.

Tips

• Keep your chest on the bench and avoid shrugging.

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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