Shoulders · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
How to do the dumbbell rear lateral raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge forward at the hips with a flat back, letting your arms hang down. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are level with your torso, then lower under control to target the rear delts.
- 1Feel your rear delts contracting as you raise your arms to the sides
- 2Lead with your elbows and keep a slight fixed bend throughout
- 3Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the lift
Common mistakes
- Avoid swinging your body or using momentum; lift under control
- Don't shrug your shoulders toward your ears; keep your traps relaxed
- Don't round your upper back; keep your chest up and spine neutral
Muscles worked
The dumbbell rear lateral raise mainly works the rear delts and mid traps, with the lower traps assisting.
- Rear DeltsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- Lower TrapsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell 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.