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Dumbbell One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise
A single-arm bent-over raise that targets the rear deltoid with a free hand braced for a stable torso.
ShouldersDumbbellRear-delt isolation
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-one-arm-rear-lateral-raise
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Rear deltoids
Secondary
RhomboidsMiddle trapezius
Equipment
Dumbbell
Pattern
Rear-delt isolation
Setup
- 01Hold a dumbbell in one hand and hinge at the hips until the torso is near parallel to the floor.
- 02Brace the free hand on a bench or your knee for support.
- 03Let the dumbbell hang below the shoulder with a slight elbow bend.
Execution
- 01Raise the dumbbell out to the side until the arm reaches shoulder height.
- 02Lead with the elbow and keep the palm facing the floor.
- 03Pause briefly at the top without rotating the torso.
- 04Lower slowly back under the shoulder and repeat, then switch arms.
Checkpoints
- -Torso stays hinged and square to the floor for every rep.
- -The elbow bend stays constant — no pressing or curling.
- -The shoulder blade stays down instead of shrugging.
- -The dumbbell path is out to the side, not back toward the hip.
Common mistakes
- -Twisting the trunk to heave the weight up.
- -Swinging the dumbbell toward the hip, which recruits the lats.
- -Using a load that turns it into a row.
- -Standing up out of the hinge as the set gets hard.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps per arm with strict control.
- -The braced free hand makes it more stable than the two-arm version — use it to push closer to failure.
- -Add reps before load; rear delt loading jumps should be tiny.
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