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

If there were an award for the hardest-working body part in most gym programs, it would probably go to the shoulders. It doesn’t matter if you’re training your chest, back, legs, arms, or core—your shoulders are involved.

Sure, sometimes they work isometrically or statically rather than actively, but virtually every time you pick up and hold a weight in your hands, you engage your shoulders.

This chronic overuse and abuse is the main reason that so many lifters suffer from cranky shoulders. In fact, “lifter’s shoulder” is a common diagnosis for non-specific shoulder pain. You train with weights and your shoulders hurt—it’s just part of the journey.

That said, it’s never a good idea to ignore shoulder pain, although many people do. Minor joint aches and stiffness have a nasty habit of becoming major injuries if allowed to persist.

Related: Preventing Common Shoulder Injuries in Bodybuilding

Studies suggest that shoulder pain is often caused by a lack of shoulder girdle stability (1). Your shoulder girdle refers to the scapulae and clavicles—or shoulder blades and collar bones, if you prefer. These bones and their associated muscles provide the foundation for your upper arms and shoulders.

And like a building, if your foundation is weak, it won’t be long until cracks start to appear.

There are lots of so-called scapular strengthening exercises, all designed to enhance shoulder girdle stability. However, of them all, the scarecrow dumbbell raise is one of the best.

In this article, I explain how to do this exercise and provide a few alternatives you can use to achieve similar results.

What Is the Scarecrow Dumbbell Raise?

You probably won’t see many people doing the scarecrow dumbbell raise. In fact, very few lifters have ever heard of it. That’s because it’s mostly thought of as a prehab/rehab exercise and is better known by physical therapists than personal trainers.

However, don’t let this uniqueness put you off—the scarecrow dumbbell raise is an awesome exercise that deserves a place in your workouts.

There are several variations of the dumbbell scarecrow raise, but they all involve purposeful external rotation of your shoulders. Combined with consciously controlling your shoulder girdle, this creates a “perfect storm” for building a stronger, more stable upper body.

This exercise is more about control than lifting heavy weights, so it’s not a move that will give you “boulder shoulders.”

However, by strengthening your shoulder girdle, it will help prevent the unwanted movements that can limit your performance during mass-building exercises like overhead presses and reduce your risk of injury.

Using our construction analogy again, improving shoulder stability with scarecrow raises will allow you to build a bigger, more impressive tower.

So, before we dive into how to do it, let’s take a closer look at the muscles the scarecrow dumbbell raise targets and why they matter.

Scarecrow Dumbbell Raises: Muscles Worked

The shoulders are one of the most complex joints in the human body. Capable of a wide range of movements, their mobility comes at a cost—instability. It’s this combination of mobility and instability that makes them so prone to injury.

With so many movements available at the shoulders, it’s no surprise that there are many muscles in and around this set of joints, most of which are active during the scarecrow dumbbell raise.

The main muscles involved in this awesome exercise are listed below, along with a brief overview of what each one does:

Rotator cuff – This group of four small muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) helps stabilize the shoulder joint and control rotation. The infraspinatus and teres minor are especially active during the external rotation part of the scarecrow dumbbell raise.

Trapezius – The middle and lower traps play a key role in scapular retraction and depression, which keeps your shoulder blades in the correct position throughout the movement.

Rhomboids – These small upper back muscles assist with scapular retraction, further enhancing shoulder girdle stability and posture.

Deltoids – The rear (posterior) deltoids are involved in shoulder external rotation and horizontal extension, both of which occur during this exercise.

Serratus anterior – This often-overlooked muscle helps hold your shoulder blades against your rib cage and contributes to scapular movement and control.

While scarecrow raises won’t hammer your delts the same way heavy overhead presses or lateral raises do, they help train the deeper stabilizers that keep your shoulders strong, safe, and supported during all upper-body lifts.

This extra stability will make every upper body and many lower body exercises safer and more effective—talk about a win-win!

Next: How to perform the scarecrow dumbbell raise correctly.

How to Do the Scarecrow Dumbbell Raise

When it comes to the scarecrow dumbbell raise, form matters far more than the weight you use. Some of the muscles involved—especially those in the rotator cuff—are small, delicate, and easily irritated if overloaded. So, start light, focus on technique, and progress slowly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Grab two light dumbbells—start with 2–5 lbs. if you’re new to this exercise. Even experienced lifters rarely need more than 10 lbs.
2. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees. Brace your core and retract your shoulder blades.
3. With your elbows bent to 90 degrees, raise your upper arms so they’re in line with your shoulders. Your forearms should point downward like a scarecrow’s arms hanging from a beam. Your palms should face backward or slightly inward, depending on what’s comfortable.
4. Without moving your upper arms, externally rotate your shoulders to lift the dumbbells until your forearms are vertical. Your hands should end up above your elbows, not drifting forward.
5. Hold this position for 1–2 seconds, squeezing your shoulder blades together while keeping your traps relaxed. Do not allow your shoulders to shrug upward.
6. Reverse the movement with control. Don’t let the weights drop or your upper arms move.
7. Repeat for 8–15 reps. That said, quality matters more than quantity, so if your form breaks down, stop the set.

Pro Tips

• Do this exercise while seated if you prefer.
• Move slowly—no jerking or swinging.
• Keep your elbows level with your shoulders throughout.
• Avoid shrugging or letting your traps take over.
• If you feel pinching or discomfort, stop and reassess your form.

Benefits of the Scarecrow Dumbbell Raise

Not sure if scarecrow dumbbell raises deserve a place in your workouts? Check this list of benefits and then decide!

An Accessible Exercise

All you need for scarecrow dumbbell raises is a pair of small dumbbells. No weights? No problem—a couple of water bottles or cans of food will suffice. This is the perfect exercise for home workouts, as you’ll never need to progress beyond light weights.

Strengthens the Rotator Cuff

The scarecrow dumbbell raise targets the external rotators of the shoulder—probably the most neglected and injury-prone muscles in your upper body. Strengthening them will help protect your shoulders during pressing, pulling, and overhead exercises.

Enhances Shoulder Stability

By combining external rotation with scapular control, the scarecrow raise trains your shoulder girdle to stay rock-steady under load. That stability will improve your performance in virtually every other upper-body lift.

Improves Posture

Weak external rotators and scapular stabilizers often lead to rounded shoulders and forward head posture. Scarecrow raises help counteract that by reinforcing proper joint alignment.

Related: Exercises to Fix Your Nerd Neck and Desk Slouch

Reduces Risk of Shoulder Pain and Injury

Lifter’s shoulder, impingement, rotator cuff irritation—they’re all caused or made worse by instability and poor muscle balance. Scarecrow dumbbell raises directly address these issues, making them a valuable addition to any injury-prevention plan.

Builds Mind-Muscle Connection in Neglected Areas

Moving slowly, precisely, and with control forces you to focus on technique. It helps you “find” and engage muscles you may not usually feel working, especially the rear delts and upper back. You’ll feel this enhanced mind-muscle connection during all your other upper-body lifts.

A Versatile Exercise

You can add scarecrow dumbbell raises to your warm-up to enhance muscle engagement, use them as a finisher after your main lifts, or do them as part of your active recovery workouts or on rest days. Whenever you do them, they’ll do wonders for your shoulder health, stability, and subsequent exercise performance.

Scarecrow Dumbbell Raise Variations and Alternatives

As much as I like—dare I say love—the basic scarecrow dumbbell raise, I know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and it could become boring if done too often. So, with that in mind, here are a few variations and alternatives that offer many of the same benefits.

Resistance Band Scarecrow Raise

Many home exercisers prefer to use resistance bands rather than weights. This makes a lot of sense given how light, portable, and versatile bands are compared to barbells and dumbbells. You can use bands to replicate most freeweight and machine exercises, including scarecrow dumbbell raises.

Prone Dumbbell Scarecrow Raise

Doing scarecrow raises while lying face down on a bench or stability ball completely changes how this exercise feels. Your upper back and rear deltoids get a much stronger workout, and there is no drop-off in muscle tension at the mid-point of each rep. Consider this an advanced scarecrow raise variation.

Scarecrow Barbell Raise

If lifting and controlling two weights is proving tricky, try doing scarecrow raises with a single barbell. With less coordination required, you should find the movement is easier to control and master. Make sure that you are using both arms equally, and try progressing to the dumbbell version when you are able.

Cuban Press

The Cuban press combines scarecrow raises with an upright row and overhead press. This hits your shoulders from multiple angles, providing a very comprehensive upper body workout. You can do Cuban presses with dumbbells, a barbell, bands, or a cable machine as preferred.

Victory Raise

While they might not look particularly similar, the victory raise and scarecrow dumbbell raise work many of the same muscles and offer some similar benefits. However, the victory raise is arguably the better muscle builder, as it allows you to lift heavier weights.

Incline YTA Raise

There are several “letter” exercises that promise to strengthen your upper back and shoulders while improving your posture, including the one I think is the best – Incline YTAs. Like scarecrow dumbbell raises, this movement is designed to work your rotator cuff, rhomboids, trapezius, etc., but it blends three distinct movements into a single smooth sequence.

Closing Thoughts

The scarecrow dumbbell raise may look simple—or even a little odd—but it delivers big results for such a small movement. By training the muscles that keep your shoulders stable, aligned, and pain-free, it builds a stronger foundation for everything from bench presses to pull-ups.

Whether you’re coming back from an injury or simply want to bulletproof your shoulders, this exercise deserves a place in your workout routine. Add it to your warm-up, your accessory work, or your active recovery sessions—you won’t regret it.

Give the scarecrow dumbbell raise a try and feel the difference for yourself. Your shoulders will thank you.

References:

1 – Paine R, Voight ML. The role of the scapula. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Oct;8(5):617-29. PMID: 24175141; PMCID: PMC3811730.

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