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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

  1. 01Hold a dumbbell in one hand and hinge at the hips until the torso is near parallel to the floor.
  2. 02Brace the free hand on a bench or your knee for support.
  3. 03Let the dumbbell hang below the shoulder with a slight elbow bend.

Execution

  1. 01Raise the dumbbell out to the side until the arm reaches shoulder height.
  2. 02Lead with the elbow and keep the palm facing the floor.
  3. 03Pause briefly at the top without rotating the torso.
  4. 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.

Related exercises

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