Incline Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise

Set the bench to an incline, rest your chest on the backrest, and extend your legs behind you with your toes on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand below your shoulders and brace your core to lock your torso in place.

With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides up to shoulder height. Think of your elbows leading out wider than your hands and focus on your rear delts opening your arms.

Pause briefly at shoulder height, then slowly lower the dumbbells. Keep the same elbow angle on the way down and control the speed so the dumbbells do not drop.

Focus on the back of your shoulders opening your arms outward. With your chest supported on the bench, this position makes it easy to isolate your rear delts without momentum.

Lifting your chest off the bench or shrugging your shoulders makes your traps take over first. Bending your elbows too much and pulling back turns it into a row, so keep your arm angle consistent.

Exhale as you raise the dumbbells out and inhale as you lower them. A steady breathing rhythm makes it easier to keep your chest on the bench.

Your rear delts respond better to control at the top than to heavy weight. Increase the weight only when you can pause at shoulder height for 1 second with light dumbbells.