Shoulders · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise
How to do the dumbbell lying rear lateral raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie face down on a flat or incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand below your chest. Raise the dumbbells out to the sides with a slight bend in your elbows, squeezing your rear delts, then lower under control.
- 1Feel your rear delts and upper back working as you raise the weights
- 2Lead with your elbows and keep a soft bend throughout
- 3Squeeze your shoulder blades briefly at the top of each rep
Common mistakes
- Don't swing or use momentum to throw the weights up
- Avoid shrugging your traps toward your ears
- Don't bend your elbows further to turn it into a row
Muscles worked
The dumbbell lying rear lateral raise mainly works the rear delts, with the mid traps and external rotators assisting.
- Rear DeltsPrimary
- Mid TrapsSupport
- External RotatorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell lying rear lateral raise for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.