10 Best Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise Alternatives for Shoulder Pain
The Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise is done standing with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Handstand Push-up and the Left Hook. Boxing.
Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works
Original Exercise: Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
- Primary muscle
- Delts
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Type
- Isolation
Secondary muscles: Traps, Rotator Cuff
How to perform Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
- Keep your back straight and engage your core.
- Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ranked Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise Alternatives
10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.
1. Reverse Dip
44% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
A looser match: it works the triceps rather than the delts.
How to perform this exercise
- Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
2. Elbow Dips
44% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
- Slide your hips forward off the bench and straighten your legs, keeping your heels on the ground.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back close to the bench.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
3. Ring Dips
41% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start by hanging from the rings with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your shoulders are below your elbows.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: a suspension trainer, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
4. Captains Chair Straight Leg Raise
41% match- Abs
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
A looser match: it works the abs rather than the delts.
How to perform this exercise
- Sit on the captain's chair with your back against the backrest and your forearms resting on the arm pads.
- Keep your upper body stable and your back straight.
- Engage your abs and lift your legs up in front of you, keeping them straight.
- Continue lifting until your legs are parallel to the ground or as high as you can comfortably go.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: abs, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: hanging, not standing
- Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
Best match 5. Handstand Push-up
37% match- Delts
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the delts with bodyweight alone.
How to perform this exercise
- Find a wall and face away from it, standing a few feet away.
- Place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart and kick your feet up against the wall, coming into a handstand position.
- Bend your elbows and lower your head towards the ground, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Push through your hands and extend your arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
6. Chest Dip
37% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
A looser match: it works the pectorals rather than the delts.
How to perform this exercise
- Position yourself on parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your shoulders are below your elbows.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: hanging, not standing
7. Left Hook. Boxing
36% match- Delts
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Keep your left hand up to protect your face and your right hand by your chin.
- Rotate your hips and pivot on your left foot as you extend your left arm forward in a punching motion.
- Twist your torso and engage your core muscles to generate power in the punch.
- Snap your arm back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise

8. Dips - Triceps Version
36% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- To get into the starting position, hold your body at arm's length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
- Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
- Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: hanging, not standing
9. Burpee
35% match- Cardio
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body into a squat position by bending your knees and placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
- Kick your feet back into a push-up position.
- Perform a push-up, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Jump your feet back into the squat position.
- Jump up explosively, reaching your arms overhead.
- Land softly and immediately lower back into a squat position to begin the next repetition.
Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: your heart and lungs, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
10. Squat To Overhead Reach
35% match- Quads
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
- Lower your body down into a squat position by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
- As you come up from the squat, extend your arms overhead, reaching towards the ceiling.
- Return to the starting position by lowering your arms and bending your knees to squat down again.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: quads, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise Alternative
You might substitute the full-can lateral raise for shoulder pain, impingement, lack of dumbbells, or to vary stimulus. Different tools change the resistance curve and scapular mechanics: cables keep constant tension, bands shift load through range, and leaning raises align the resistance vector to emphasize the medial head. Use the scapular-plane (about 30° forward) and a thumbs-up grip to reduce supraspinatus irritation and bias the lateral deltoid. Choose a substitute that lowers joint stress while maintaining slow, controlled reps and tight scapular control, keep elbows soft and lead with the elbow to maintain deltoid activation.
How to Choose the Right Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise Substitute
Match the substitute to your limitation and training goal. For persistent shoulder pain choose cables or bands and perform raises in the scapular plane with a thumbs-up grip to reduce impingement; cue: stop at shoulder height and avoid shrugging. If you need progressive overload pick machine or single-arm cable variations to increase load incrementally, cue: keep elbow bent 15–20° and tension through the eccentric. For limited equipment, leaning dumbbell or band raises let you change the resistance vector; cue: hinge at the waist 15° and pull the elbow up so the working line passes through the lateral deltoid.
Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise FAQ
What muscles does Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise work?
The primary mover is the lateral (middle) deltoid; the anterior and posterior deltoid portions assist for stabilization, while the upper trapezius helps at the top. Biomechanically the movement is shoulder abduction in the scapular plane, so keep the thumb-up and elbow leading to bias the lateral head over the supraspinatus.
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