Fitness Volt
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Strongman
    • Powerlifting
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Arnold Classic
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2025 WSM
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Muscle Groups
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Mobility & Stretching
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Calculators
  • More
    • Forum
    • Strength Standards
    • DIY
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Strongman
    • Powerlifting
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Arnold Classic
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2025 WSM
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Muscle Groups
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Mobility & Stretching
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Calculators
  • More
    • Forum
    • Strength Standards
    • DIY
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Home » Exercise Guides » Shoulders
Fact Checked
Fact Checked
This article was written by one of our team of experienced writers, and fact-checked by our experts or our editors. The numbers in parentheses (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.) throughout the article are reference links to peer-reviewed studies.
Our team of experts includes a board-certified physician, nutritionists, dietitians, certified personal trainers, strength training experts, and exercise specialists.
Read Our Editorial Process

Dumbbell Raise: Sculpt Your Deltoids and Upper Back Muscles

The dumbbell raise is a useful exercise for rounding out the shoulder muscles, giving impressive width to the upper body. Learn how to do this exercise with tips, variations, and more.

Written by Matthew Magnante, ACE

Last Updated on11 August, 2024 | 5:25 AM EDT

Ask Question?

Do you want wider, more impressive deltoids? Consider including the dumbbell raise, also called the armpit row and monkey row, in your shoulder training routine. This variation involves raising dumbbells up along your torso to activate the lateral or outer portion of the shoulders. 

It’s not your conventional later raise but we have a feeling you’ll it because it keeps shoulder training interesting.

Follow along to learn more about this exercise including how to do it with tips, variations, and how to include it in your training. 

Dumbbell Raise Details
Basic Information
Body Part
Shoulders
Primary Muscles
Deltoids, Infraspinatus, Serratus Anterior, Supraspinatus, Trapezius
Secondary Muscles
Rhomboids
Equipment
Dumbbells
Exercise Characteristics
Exercise Type
Strength
Movement Pattern
Unknown
Force Type
Concentric
Unilateral/Bilateral
Unilateral
Compound/Isolation
Isolation
Bodyweight Exercise
No
Training Parameters
Difficulty Level
Intermediate
Target Training Goals
Hypertrophy
Suitable Workout Phases
Main workout
Risk Level
Low
Weight Category
Light (e.g., light dumbbells, medicine balls)
Recommended Rep Ranges
GoalRep Range
Strength6-8
Hypertrophy8-12
Endurance12-20
Power3-5
Muscular endurance15-20
Stability core8-12
Flexibility mobility15-30 seconds
Similar Exercises
  • Master the EZ Bar Curl: Target Your Biceps for Maximum Gain
  • Zercher Deadlift: Unlock Strength for Legs and Core Today!
  • Maximize Shoulder Gains: Effective Cable Shoulder Press Workout
  • Get Stronger Abs: Effective Crunches for Core Power

Muscles Worked

While the delts is the muscle we’re after, there are several more involved in dumbbell raises. Here’s a list of all the muscles, where they’re located and what they do.  

Deltoid lateral

The lateral or outer deltoids give that rounded scoop to the shoulder muscles. It’s the lateral most head that makes it possible for us to abduct the arms away from the body laterally between a specific 15-100 degree angle. 

Deltoid posterior 

If you start from the lateral deltoids and wrap around the back of your shoulders you’ll fine the deltoid posterior also known as the rear delts. While the front delts contribute to forward arm movement, the posterior head does the opposite to pull the shoulder blades back with assistance from other muscles.

Get Fitter, Faster

Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!

Please wait...
You're In! Let's Crush Your Fitness Goals Together

Expect expert-backed workouts, nutrition advice, the latest in strength sports, and a whole lot of motivation heading your way.

Biceps brachii

A twin muscle, the biceps brachii has two heads on the anterior upper arm that when flexed create a ball-like appearance. Anatomically, our biceps muscles cross both the elbow and shoulder joint although it’s function is stronger at the elbow which is flexion of the arm and rotation of the forearm in either direction. 

Brachialis

The king elbow flexors, brachialis is a key muscle in similar movements. It’s found in the upper and lower arm also contributing to twisting the forearms to either a palms up or palms down position. 

Brachioradialis

Not an area of focus, the brachioradialis lateral forearm muscles give aid to the brachialis and biceps in the process of elbow flexion. 

Trapezius upper fibers

You could consider dumbbell raises a form of shrugs and therefore you can hit the traps pretty hard with this exercise. The trapezius muscles are split into three segments – Lower, middle and upper fibers. Not surprisingly, the upper fibers contribute to vertical scapular movement while the middle fibers move the scap back and the lower muscles bring it down toward the floor. 

Dumbbell Raise

Shrugs are the most popular exercise for targeting this muscle group but you’ll feel them during dumbbell raises.

How To Do The Dumbbell Raise

Here are step-by-step instructions.

  1. Grab two dumbbells and relax your arms by your sides.
  2. Using a neutral grip, hinge forward slightly and pull the dumbbells up into your armpits while keeping your elbows back and squeezing the upper back muscles. 
  3. Lower the dumbbells back down and repeat for the desired number of reps. 

Here’s an example video…

Dumbbell Raise Tips

  • If you’re a beginner, use the lightest dumbbells possible and do higher reps. Focus on activating your delts and upper back muscles.  
  • Make sure to pull the dumbbells into the armpits and squeeze the upper back muscles.
  • This is an exercise that can be done safely and effectively using heavy weights.
  • Avoid swinging your body to get the weight up unless you’re more advanced and performing cheat repetitions. 
  • If you feel joint pain, stop the exercise. You might be using too much weight. Do not continue if the pain persists consistently even after lightening up the weight. You may need to seek help from a medical professional as shoulder pain is nothing to take lightly. 

Dumbbell Raise Variations / Alternatives

Here are three very effective variations/alternatives that we recommend. 

1. Shrug

Shrugs are a time-tested exercise that builds huge traps and upper back muscles and also works the deltoids. 

Get Fitter, Faster

Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!

Please wait...
You're In! Let's Crush Your Fitness Goals Together

Expect expert-backed workouts, nutrition advice, the latest in strength sports, and a whole lot of motivation heading your way.

Instead of pulling the weights up like with the dumbbell raise, you elevate the shoulders to activate the upper back muscles. 

When you do shrugs, raise your elbows to get a more pronounced contraction in the traps. 

2. Cable/band raise

You can also use cables or resistance bands to do this exact exercise. This is especially a good alternative if you don’t have dumbbells but even if you did, there are benefits to using both as long as you can implement progressive overload. 

3. Lateral raise

The lateral shoulder raise and all of its variations are a must if you’re going to maximize your delts development. And, of course, your traps and upper back muscles get some work too. 

You can do this movement so many different ways and it’ll no doubt slap size and roundness onto your upper body. 

Related: Best Side Delt Exercises for Broader, More Powerful Shoulders

How To Incorporate The Dumbbell Raise Into Your Training Routine

We recommend including the dumbbell raise and its variations in your shoulder workouts at least once per week. We know shoulder presses are the primary go-to exercise for building muscular shoulders but you need a lateral raise variation to further emphasize the side delts. 

A good example shoulder workout would include a front raise (optional as it’s heavily involved in all pressing exercises), a lateral raise, and a rear delt raise of some sort. 

Also read: 15 Best Overhead Barbell Press Variations for Big, Powerful Shoulders 

Sets/reps

How many sets and reps will depend on your experience level and exercise routine. But in general, we recommend at least 3 sets of anywhere from 8-20 reps.

The weight used should vary between workouts as some days you can go heavier, and on others, you can train lighter with more reps. Both are very effective for building impressive shoulder muscles and strength. 

This isn’t set in stone but just a suggestion. 

Wrapping Up

The dumbbell raise is an unconventional yet effective exercise that you can do to build your deltoid lateral muscles. It gives nice width to the upper body and can make your waist look smaller too. 

Don’t forget about the variations and alternatives too as it’s always good to mix things up for maximum gains!

Interested in measuring your progress? Check out our strength standards for Shoulder Press.


If you have any questions about this article, please feel free to contact Matthew Magnante by leaving a comment below.

Stay on top of the latest fitness news and updates by adding Fitness Volt to your Google News feed: Follow us on Google News You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for even more content.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn Pinterest
Categories: Exercise Guides Shoulders
Previous Post

Hany Rambod Details Hadi Choopan’s Insane Journey To Get To 2020 Mr. Olympia: ‘It Was Like A Movie’

Next Post

Kamal Elgargni Says He Caught COVID-19 From The Crowd At 2020 Olympia, ‘I’m Going To Die’

Matthew Magnante, ACE

Matthew Magnante, ACE

Matthew is an ACE (American Council On Exercise) certified fitness professional who has had a passion for fitness since elementary school and continues to research and learn how to build muscle effectively through training and diet. He also loves to help others to achieve their fitness goals and spread the knowledge where needed. Matthew's other passions include learning about mindfulness, strolling through nature, traveling, and always working to improve overall.

Related

Scarecrow Dumbbell Raise
Training

The Scarecrow Dumbbell Move Looks Dumb — Until You Feel What It Does to Your Body

Intensity Extenders Muscle Growth
Training

Beyond Failure: 3 “Intensity Extenders” Pro Bodybuilders Use to Spark New Muscle Growth

Mechanical Drop Set
Training

The Mechanical Drop Set Masterclass: How to Grow Muscle Without Changing Weights

Eccentric Overload Protocol
Training

The “Eccentric Overload” Protocol: I Slowed Down My Reps for 4 Weeks – Did My Strength Explode?

Jeff Cavaliere
Bodybuilding

Jeff Cavaliere Explains How to Train for Size vs Strength

Arnold Schwarzenegger 30-30 Challenge
Training

Can You Survive Arnold’s 30-30 Challenge? I Tried It and Got the Craziest Pump of My Life

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Ronnie Coleman Breaks Silence After Sepsis Hospitalization: “It Nearly Killed Me”

Women’s Physique Pro Bodybuilder Christina Bitner Passed Away at 41

Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals Whether More Reps Really Boost Muscle Growth

Tight Muscles and Zero Energy? This 10-Minute Yoga Flow Is a Total Reset

A Nutritionist’s “Lazy” 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan to Help You Shed Pounds Fast

Wesley Vissers Breaks Down Why Bench Press Isn’t Always Safe and Shares Safer Chest-Building Alternatives to Avoid Injury

Fitness Volt

At Fitness Volt, our mission is to empower every individual on their fitness journey by providing expert advice, the latest research, and comprehensive resources. Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, we are here to support your goals with trustworthy and up-to-date information in strength, fitness, and nutrition. Read more.

For inquiries, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]

About Us | Careers | Contact Form

Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • WSM
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercises
  • Training
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Discussion Forum

More

  • Calculators
  • Fasting
  • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Workout Plans
  • At-Home Workouts
  • Programs
  • Supplements
  • Newsletter
  • Review Process
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Disclaimer

© Copyright 2010 - 2024 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2024 WSM
    • Arnold Classic
  • Forum
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Muscle Groups
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Supplements
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Fitness Calculator
  • More
    • DIY
    • Strength Standards
    • Motivation
    • Videos

© Copyright 2010 - 2024 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.