Lying Rear Delt Raise
The lying rear delt raise has you face down on an incline or flat bench, raising two dumbbells out to the sides to target the rear deltoids, the small muscles on the back of your shoulders. Lying prone removes any chance of using body momentum to sling the weights up, which makes it one of the stricter ways to isolate a muscle group that's easy to under-train and hard to feel working. It's a useful addition for anyone chasing balanced shoulder development or trying to counter a chest-and-front-delt-heavy pushing routine.
Why it works
The rear deltoids are small compared to the front and middle heads of the shoulder, and they're easy to shortchange because pressing movements like bench press and overhead press almost never train them. A bent-over rear delt raise done standing lets your lower back and hip hinge sneak in to help the lift, especially as fatigue sets in. Lying face down on a bench pins your torso in place, so the only way to move the dumbbells is by contracting the rear delts to pull your arms out and back, which makes the muscle do the work it's usually skipped for.
Set up
- Set an incline bench to a moderate angle, or use a flat bench, and lie face down with your chest supported.
- Let your arms hang straight down, holding a light dumbbell in each hand.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows for the whole set.
- Position your head so your neck stays neutral rather than craned up or down.
How to do it
- Raise both dumbbells out to the sides, leading with your elbows.
- Lift until your arms are roughly in line with your torso, forming a T shape.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together briefly at the top.
- Lower the dumbbells back down under control to the starting position.
- Keep your chest pressed into the bench throughout the set.
- Avoid using any upward jerk to start the rep.
Form cues
- Lead with the elbows, not the hands.
- Chest stays pinned to the bench.
- Raise to roughly shoulder height, no higher.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.
Breathing: Exhale as you raise the dumbbells out to the sides, inhale as you lower them back down.
Common mistakes
Using dumbbells heavy enough that the traps and upper back take over the raise.
Fix: Drop the weight until you can feel the effort specifically behind your shoulders rather than across your upper back.
Jerking the weights up at the start of each rep.
Fix: Start every rep from a dead stop and raise the dumbbells with a smooth, steady pull.
Raising the arms too high, past shoulder height.
Fix: Stop the raise once your arms are roughly in line with your torso; going higher shifts effort onto the traps.
How to program it
- Use light dumbbells for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; this is a small, easily fatigued muscle group and doesn't need or tolerate heavy loading.
- It fits well at the end of a shoulder, back, or pull-focused session, since it's a low-fatigue accessory move rather than a primary lift.
- Two sessions a week is reasonable for most people, since the light loads used here recover quickly.
- If your rear delts lag behind the rest of your shoulders, prioritize this early in the accessory portion of your workout rather than tacking it on at the very end when you're rushed.
Safety notes
- Keep the weight light; rear delt raises are meant to isolate a small muscle, not to move heavy load.
- Stop if you feel strain in your neck; that usually means your head is craning instead of staying neutral.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How much weight should I use for lying rear delt raises?
Go lighter than you think. The rear delts are a small muscle group, and most people only need light dumbbells to feel real fatigue by the last few reps of a set of 12 to 15.
Lying rear delt raise vs bent-over rear delt raise, which is better?
The lying version pins your torso against a bench, removing any chance of using your lower back or hips to help the lift. The bent-over standing version is more accessible without equipment beyond dumbbells, but it's easier to cheat with body momentum as you fatigue.
Why can't I feel my rear delts working?
The most common cause is using dumbbells that are too heavy, which lets your traps and upper back take over the movement. Drop the weight and focus on leading with your elbows rather than your hands.
How many sets of rear delt raises do I need per week?
Two sessions of 2 to 3 sets a week is a reasonable amount for most lifters looking to build up a lagging rear deltoid, since the light loads used here don't take long to recover from.
What's the difference between a rear delt raise and a face pull?
Both target the rear deltoids, but a face pull also pulls the upper back and external rotators into the movement, since you're pulling toward your face on a cable rather than raising straight out to the sides. The rear delt raise isolates the deltoid more directly, while the face pull spreads the work across a slightly wider group of upper-back muscles.