Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise

Setup

1. 01Set an incline bench to roughly 30 to 45 degrees.
2. 02Lie back holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms extended over the upper chest.
3. 03Keep a slight bend in the elbows and palms facing each other or forward.
4. 04Plant the feet and keep the head and hips on the bench.

Execution

1. 01With elbows locked in position, push the dumbbells toward the ceiling by reaching the shoulders forward.
2. 02Let the shoulder blades wrap around the rib cage at the top.
3. 03Pause briefly at the fullest reach.
4. 04Lower by letting the shoulder blades settle back to the bench under control.

Checkpoints

• -Elbows stay at the same bend for the whole rep; only the shoulder blades move.
• -The reach adds several centimeters of height without pressing.
• -Head and hips stay on the bench.
• -The dumbbells stay stacked over the shoulder joints.

Common mistakes

• -Turning the movement into a press by bending and extending the elbows.
• -Using loads so heavy the range of motion disappears.
• -Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears instead of reaching forward.
• -Rushing the lowering phase and losing scapular control.