Seated Rear Delt Raise Guide: Form, Benefits, and Tips
Master the seated rear delt raise to build shoulder stability and improve posture. Follow our step-by-step guide for better posterior deltoid isolation.
How to Perform
- Sit at the edge of a flat bench with your feet firmly planted on the floor and dumbbells held at your sides.
- Hinge forward at the hips until your chest is resting on or positioned just above your thighs while keeping a flat back.
- Let the dumbbells hang beneath your chest with a slight bend in the elbows and palms facing each other.
- Raise the weights out to the sides in a wide arc until your elbows are level with your shoulders.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement for one second.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under slow, deliberate control to maintain tension.
- Repeat the motion while ensuring your torso remains stationary throughout the set.
Common Mistakes
- Using momentum or swinging the torso to lift the weights.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears, which over-activates the upper traps.
- Straightening the arms completely, which puts unnecessary stress on the elbow joints.
- Dropping the weights quickly rather than controlling the descent.
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Rear Deltoids
Stabilizers
- Trapezius
- Rhomboids
- Infraspinatus
Related Guides
- 1-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown — Back
- Alternating High Cable Row — Back
- Alternative DB Gorilla rows — Back
Rear Deltoids · Back