How to do the Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Raise
While holding a dumbbell in each hand, lay with your chest down on a flat bench.
Position the palms of the hands in a neutral manner (palms facing your torso) as you keep the arms extended with the elbows slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
Now raise the arms to the side until your elbows are at shoulder height and your arms are roughly parallel to the floor as you exhale. Tip: Maintain your arms perpendicular to the torso while keeping them extended throughout the movement. Also, keep the contraction at the top for a second.
Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position as you inhale.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and then switch to the other arm.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 2–4 | 10–15 | 1 min |
| Muscular endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 45 s |
When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add 4 kg (10 lb) next session and work back up.
Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.
Muscles worked
Primary
Three heads, three jobs: the front delts press, the side delts raise your arms out and give width, the rear delts pull back. Train all three.
Alternatives
Same muscles, similar movement: swap in one of these if the Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Raise doesn’t suit your gym or your joints.
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