13 Rear Delt Dumbbell Exercises for Boulder Shoulders

Big arms aren’t just big bi’s and tri’s. They also require big ‘ol boulder shoulders. So how do you build them? More importantly, why do people seem to forget about the rear delts?

Today, those are the main focus. Let’s get those bad boys big and strong!

13 Ultra-Effective Rear Delt Dumbbell Exercises

As you may or may not know, the delts are split into three distinct areas: front, middle, and back/rear. Here’s an extensive list of dumbbell exercises for the rear delts exclusively:

1. Bent-Over Single-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

What a name! As you’ll come to learn through this article, we’ll need to maneuver the body quite a lot to get it into position for the rear delts to actually be active. Easier said than done.

The first exercise we’re focusing on is a classic and the one we always start with. By doing them one arm at a time, you can find any strength differences rather quickly, but you can also give the individual muscles all the time and effort they need.

It might be a bit more time intensive, but hey, we’re here to get big!

* One thing to note is that these will place some strain on the lower back, so if you have a bad back, maybe move on to exercise number three on this list. It’s for your own good.

Here’s how to perform the bent-over single-arm dumbbell rear delt raise:

1. Grab one dumbbell and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Assume a slightly bent-over position by “pushing” your hips back. You can use the arm that’s not holding the dumbbell to stabilize your knee.
3. Raise the dumbbell upwards with your elbow in line between your shoulder blades and 90 degrees in relation to your body. You should feel your rear delt squish or start to feel uncomfortable.
4. Once you can’t raise the dumbbell any further, return the arm to its original position. That’s one rep.
5. Repeat the same number of reps on both arms.

Again, if you have back problems, this exercise is not for you. In fact, if you have the proper equipment, I highly recommend you use that equipment in the following ways.

2. Bent-Over Dual-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

Same same, but different! This time, we’ll be using two dumbbells instead of just one. This does allow you to save some time, and it also tends to feel better because of the forces being canceled out by one another.

* Please note that these will also target the lower back slightly. So once again, those who suffer from a bad back are better off looking elsewhere.

Here’s how to perform the bent-over dual-arm dumbbell rear delt raise:

1. Grab two dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Assume a slightly bent-over position by “pushing” your hips back.
3. Raise the dumbbells upwards with your elbow in line between your shoulder blades and 90 degrees in relation to your body. You should feel your rear delts squish or start to feel uncomfortable.
4. Once you can’t raise the dumbbells any further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.

It’s extremely similar to exercise one. However, by doing two at the same time, you do get to save yourself a little time.

3. Bent-Over Single-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise (with Support)

Finally! Some support! Praise to the lords of lifting!

With this support, we can potentially get even better gains.

See, one of the measurements of whether an exercise is “good” or not is if it’s stable. Now, as I already mentioned, numbers 1 and 2 don’t provide the best stability, but we’re fixing that now.

We’ll be using a bench as a means to provide support. You can also use the dumbbell rack if you wish — or anything that’s hip-level height.

Here’s how to perform the bent-over single-arm dumbbell rear delt raise (with support):

1. Grab one dumbbell and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Assume a slightly bent-over position by “pushing” your hips back. Use the other arm to support your body by placing your hand on a bench set to the incline position.
3. Raise the dumbbell upwards with your elbow in line between your shoulder blades and 90 degrees in relation to your body. You should feel your rear delt squish or start to feel uncomfortable.
4. Once you can’t raise the dumbbell any further, return the arm to its original position. That’s one rep.
5. Repeat the same number of reps on both arms.

* Note: You’ll notice the plane of movement for all these exercises is virtually identical. Yep, it’s supposed to be that way.

4. Dual-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise (with Chest Support)

Now, we get to the real meat and potato movements for the rear delts. This is the first exercise that completely removes a swinging pattern and forces you to contract the muscle perfectly.

This means getting even more stability, and we can get that stability thanks to an incline bench. By supporting the body in this manner, we can ensure that the rear delts are the only muscles being worked.

It also takes most of the “other” off the body, which can lead to greater recovery capabilities over the course of the week.

Here’s how to perform the dual-arm dumbbell rear delt raise (with chest support):

1. First, set a bench at the incline position.
2. Grab two dumbbells, and lie on your stomach on the incline bench, arms dangling downwards.
3. Raise the dumbbells upwards with your elbow in line between your shoulder blades and 90 degrees in relation to your body. You should feel your rear delts squish or start to feel uncomfortable.
4. Once you can’t raise the dumbbells any further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.

Again, the pattern of movement is identical to that of other exercises we’ve done thus far. That’s because it’s simply the best pattern of movement for the rear delts to be working.

But we’re now moving on to exercises that’ll target the rear delts along with other delt muscles.

5. Dumbbell Y-Raise

If you’ve ever done these, you’ll know just how intense they can be. That said, they require a massive amount of brain power to be done correctly. Y-Raises will also target the traps, but this exercise will predominantly hit the rear delts as the main muscle.

The only general note for this exercise is that a slower and more controlled rep is crucial.

Here’s how to perform the dumbbell Y-raise:

1. First, set a bench at the incline position.
2. Grab two dumbbells and lie on your stomach on the incline bench with your arms dangling downwards.
3. Raise the dumbbells upwards with your arms going 45 degrees between your head and shoulder line (making your body a ‘Y’, hence the name)
4. Once you cannot raise the dumbbells any further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.
5. Again, remember to keep these reps controlled and slow. Avoid swinging the dumbbells at all costs.

6. Dumbbell Front Raise on Incline

Now, we’re getting quirky. Before we get into the bread-and-butter exercises, allow me to introduce the exercise that’ll target both the real delts as well as the rhomboids.

For the most part, these are rather simple, keeping in mind that swinging your arms is still the enemy. When doing any exercise, form is vital, but even more so when it comes to shoulder movements where slinging weight around is almost second nature.

Here’s how to perform the dumbbell front raise on the incline:

1. First, set a bench at the incline position, with dumbbells in front of the bench (or have someone standing there with two ready to pass on to you in the next step).
2. Lie on your stomach on the incline bench, arms dangling downwards. Either pick up the dumbbells or have someone give them to you (shoulder-width apart with your grip).
3. Raise the dumbbells forward and upwards, taking great care not to swing.
4. Once you can’t raise the dumbbell any further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.
5. Again, remember to control these reps and do them slowly. In other words, do everything you can do to avoid swinging the dumbbells.

This exercise is the first “complete” exercise for the shoulders, but it definitely won’t be the last…

7. Seal Rows (For Rear Delts)

Wasn’t expecting the Seal row here, were you?

Well, there really isn’t anything that’ll be as effective as the Seal row, more so for the upper back, but we can also use it for the rear delts.

By shifting where the elbows retract, we can totally change the target muscle.

Why the Seal row, though? The fact that we can remove any and all momentum means the lift will be completed fully by the target muscles, which is exactly what we want!

Here’s how to perform the seal rows (for rear delts):

1. Set up your Seal row platform. You might need to stack a bench on something, so be extremely careful.
2. Lie face down on the platform and have someone pass you two dumbbells, one in each hand.
3. Row these upwards with your elbows as high as you can bring them before actually lifting them above the shoulder line.
4. Once you can row no further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.

You might feel the upper back retract a bit as well, which is completely normal.

8. Seal Y-Raise

Ha-ah, before you get down from the Seal row machine, we first need to do some raises. If you thought we weren’t going to make use of all that stability, well, you thought wrong.

The Seal row machine grants us so much freedom and stability that we simply need to make the most of it that we possibly can. The Y-raise will be virtually the same here as it was on the Incline bench.

But now, they’ll feel a bit heavier due to the angle being even smaller. This means the mechanical tension is so much more, meaning more gains (and bigger arms).

Here’s how to perform the seal Y-raise:

1. Set up your Seal row platform. You might need to stack a bench on something, so use caution.
2. Lie face down on the platform, and have someone pass you two dumbbells, one in each hand.
3. Raise the dumbbells upwards with your arms going 45 degrees between your head and shoulder line (making your body a ‘Y’ — hence the name).
4. Once you cannot raise the dumbbells any further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.
5. Again, remember to crank these reps out slowly. Avoid swinging the dumbbells whenever possible.

You’ll definitely notice the traps and rhomboids working here, too, which is completely fine. That said, try to focus more on the rear delts if you can.

9. Dual-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise on the Seal Row

And now, we’re ending our time on the Seal row the same way we started all of these exercises — with rear delt raises. Again, the bread and butter for the rear delts are because you don’t train any of the other muscles.

So only the rear delts are actually working. This allows for max stimulation with the least amount of fatigue.

Here’s how to perform the dual-arm dumbbell rear delt raise on the Seal row:

1. Set up your Seal row platform. Keep in mind you might need to stack a bench on something — be careful.
2. Lie face down on the platform and ask someone to pass you two dumbbells, one in each hand.
3. Raise the dumbbells upwards with your elbow in line between your shoulder blades and 90 degrees in relation to your body. You should feel your rear delts squish or start to feel uncomfortable.
4. Once you can’t raise the dumbbells any further, return them to their original position. That’s one rep.

With this one, you’ll feel a lot of the upper back activating as well, which is normal. The more experienced you get, the easier it’ll become for you to single out specific muscles.

10. High Rows (Upright Rows)

Sometimes, these are also called upright rows, and I’ll be the first to admit these target the rear delts only marginally, but they do still stimulate them. Might not be the exercise you do the most for the rear delts, but it does help to have it in your arsenal.

One thing to note is that some folks claim these cause a bit of pain in the shoulders. Now, no movement in the gym is inherently “bad”… unless you perform it with poor form. That said, make sure you’re nice and warm before doing these.

Here’s how to perform the high rows:

1. Grab two dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. With your elbows always higher than your wrists, pull the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Again, your elbows should be above your wrists.
3. Once you can’t pull any higher, lower them to the start position. That’s one rep/

A simple execution — yet incredibly impactful. These are going to target the entire delt, which (again) means you’re gonna have to be nice and warm. Also, if you have pre-existing issues with your shoulders or wrists, these might not be the best option for you.

Another general note is to allow your arms to move in and outwards to a place where you feel comfortable. This could minimize the risk of pain and injury.

11. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Ah, yes, good ‘ol shoulder press. Nothing like it, really. You’ll hopefully also be saying, “Hey, that’s not really a rear delt exercise, bro!” and you’re right.

That said, the rear delts are still stabilizing slightly, and we can use this as a full delt dumbbell exercise. Now, is it the best option for rear delts only? Not by a country mile!

But I believe it’s important to put these in your routine regardless.

Here’s how to perform the dumbbell shoulder press (seated or standing):

1. Grab two dumbbells and sit down on a bench that has been set to its most upright setting or just one setting lower.
2. Flick the dumbbells up in one smooth motion to have them rest on your shoulders. Your elbows should be located below your wrists.
3. At the same time, press both of the dumbbells upwards and together, having them touch end to end at the top of the rep.
4. Now, slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position on your shoulders. That’s one rep.

The rear delts do play an important role as stabilizers here, so they are active. However, there are far better exercises on this list to actually isolate them.

12. Full ROM Lateral Raises

You might be reading the name and thinking, “well, aren’t all lateral raises a full range of motion (ROM)?” No, they really aren’t.

As popularized by Doctor Mike Israetel over at Renaissance Periodization, these actual full range of motion laterals will burn the living heck out of your shoulders.

As with the press (#13 on this list), the rear delts aren’t the primary mover here. The medial or the side delts are the main movers, but the rear delts will still play a big role as stabilizers here.

But a bigger role than they played in the presses, that’s for sure.

Here’s how to perform the full ROM lateral raise:

1. Grab two dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Now, execute a normal lateral raise by raising your straight arms outwards towards the side. A slight bend in your elbows is okay. However, the straighter they are, the better.
3. Instead of stopping at the shoulder line, keep going. Keep lifting the dumbbells higher and higher overhead, and let them meet one another over your head.
4. Slowly return them to their starting position. That’s one rep.

Are these going to feel super uncomfortable at first? Absolutely. You might need to shift your body forward and backward to allow for greater shoulder mobility. That’s one thing to note as well — shoulder mobility is often forgotten in the fitness world.

Your shoulders will be involved with literally every pull and push movement, so take the time to warm them up properly. Don’t use too much weight too quickly, and make sure you use good form … always.

13. Incline Lateral Raises

To finish the list of exercises, we’ll be looking at the quirkiest on the list. Definitely one you’re more likely to see on Tik Tok than a bodybuilding book, but it’s actually a pretty good exercise.

Often called the leaning lateral raise, I prefer doing them on an incline because it takes out your ability to cheat. And who here really wants to cheat – besides my ex? No one!

Cheating can rob you of gains, grant you the opportunity to injure yourself, and you’ll probably be “that guy” who cheats on all his lifts.

Here’s how to perform the incline lateral raise:

1. Set a bench to its incline setting and grab a dumbbell.
2. Lie sideways on the bench, with the dumbbell resting on your thigh (this is an uncomfortable position, I know).
3. Now, do a normal lateral raise (raising your straight arm outwards towards the side). A slight bend in your elbows is okay. However, the straighter they are, the better.
4. When the dumbbell is at its highest point, slowly returns to its original position. That’s one rep.

Another exercise that doesn’t only target the rear delt, but we said we were giving you 13 of these suckers, so you’ll get 13, damn it! This is an odd exercise and should really only be used once you’re dang strong on normal lateral raises.

Before trying these out, you should also be pretty confident in your shoulder strength and mobility.

* Huge Note: Usually, we would say, “do x amount of sets for this number of reps.” But because the rear delts are incredibly small (compared to other muscles), you don’t need to do all 13 exercises each session.

Choose 2 – 4 of the ones you feel the most, and do a good amount of volume on them. The more experienced you are, the more volume you’ll probably need.

Anatomy of the Shoulders

The shoulders are dismally complex, with smaller and larger muscles all working intertwined to allow your arms to move up, down, in, out, and rotate.

From a fitness perspective (aesthetics), the shoulders consist of 3 main parts:

• The front delts are mostly used for pressing movements and movements that raise the arm in the front plane
• The side (medial) delts that are used to raise the arms out toward the side
• The rear delts are used for any rowing or pulldown movements plus any movement where the shoulder rotates

Look at most people’s shoulder training programs, and you’ll find plenty of front and side delt exercises. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who does enough rear delt work.

Why? Well, it’s quite boring to those folks. The pump isn’t great, the exercises aren’t “alpha,” and it takes a LONG time for the rear delts to grow. Like, Shaquille O’Neal long.

Unfortunately, we find that most people have underdeveloped rear deltoids. This wouldn’t be a problem, but the rear delts are actually very important for pressing and pulling movements. By having weak rear delts, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

For years, it’s been known by strong benchers that strong rear delts and even stronger lats are incredibly important for a strong bench. They allow you to control weight a lot better, which means less risk of injury and a lower chance of messing up the rep.

In fact, Louie Simmons — a world-famous powerlifter and powerlifting coach — sums it up rather simply:

Dumbbell Rear Delt Flye – Simple but needed, rear delts keep the shoulders from pronation (which keeps one from generating a full stretch reflex).

If you feel your rear delts might be lacking, the best way to check is with a band and some face pulls. If a band is already giving you a bit of a fight, then it might be time to thoroughly invest more attention into the rear delts.

If they’re really weak, place them first or at least second on your list of shoulder parts trained. Only sometimes start with pressing movements. Maybe start with laterals or rear delt work.

The “other” part of the shoulders are the smaller muscles and ligaments within. These include:

• The rotator cuff allows for a wide range of motions
• The bursa, which is essentially just a sac that’s there to support your shoulders in case it takes any nasty knocks

The one you’ve probably heard of is the rotator cuff. This bad boy is the key to all your gym pleasures. Without it, you probably won’t be able to do anything interesting in the gym.

This is exactly why you must take your time with warm-ups and cool-downs.

Also, don’t increase your weight too quickly. Progressive overload is important, yes. However, trying to jump 20 lbs in one week is a surefire way of tearing something. Not quite sure what, but something’s got to give.

Lastly, if you feel pain or discomfort, stop. The shoulders (and knees) are so important that you can’t really afford to hurt them at all.

If you feel even just a bit of pain, you should probably just stop and make your way to a physician to check it out. Rather safe than sorry.

4 Deltoid Training Benefits

The shoulders, as mentioned, are incredibly complex. They’re active in every single movement we do daily. So, you better make sure they’re strong and healthy.

Here are some reasons why you’d want that:

More Muscle = Greater Health

More muscle simply means you’re more likely to be healthy. More muscle usually means you have greater insulin sensitivity, less inflammation, less fat mass, and even better mental health! Overall, those who train with resistance are just healthier, physically and mentally.

The Shoulders Play a Big Role In Daily Activities

Shoulders are involved with all the movements we do daily. Strong shoulders usually mean more robust and durable shoulders, which also means you have a lower chance of wear and tear. Your shirts, not so much, but you’ll look damn good wearing them!

Real Delts Help With Posture

Posture is something we should all be working on. The rear delts are going to help with that, especially. Better posture has been linked to better back health, better hip health, and even better visual impact on other people.

This might not seem like something that matters to you now, but once you’re working at a desk job, sitting 8 hours a day, these things catch up with you. Fixing your rear delt issue could help fix your posture issue as well.

This could mean fewer injuries and fewer doctor bills years down the line. So you better get to it – in the future, you will thank you.

Increase Your Pressing Abilities

The last point is a bit of an odd one, but stronger shoulders mean you have more pressing capabilities. There! I said it! I’m obsessed with moving heavy weights.

Judge all you want, but the delts play a role in every single pressing movement, so if you’re stuck on a 225 bench, try to strengthen your shoulders to see what happens… (You can also try some of our favorite dumbbell chest exercises!)

Also, train your triceps more. Benching is all triceps, really.

Work all three heads of the shoulder to ensure your entire pressing system is ready for whatever weight is coming. Play with dumbbells, barbells, cables, and bands. Don’t limit yourself to one kind of lifting unless you’re forced to do so due to circumstances.