10 Best Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise Alternatives for Home

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise

Primary Muscle

Serratus-anterior

Equipment

Dumbbell

Difficulty

Beginner

Type

Isolation

Secondary Muscles: Deltoids, Trapezius

How to Perform Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise

1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing down.
2. Rest the dumbbells on your thighs and lean back onto the bench.
3. Use your thighs to help raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, then rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing forward.
4. Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells above your head, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
5. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise Alternatives

Best Match

1. Smith Incline Shoulder Raises

75.7% Match

Serratus-anterior Smith-machine Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Adjust the smith machine to an incline position.
2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
4. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
5. Raise the barbell up towards the ceiling, leading with your elbows.

2. Front Raise And Pullover

70.4% Match

Pectorals Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lie on a flat bench while holding a barbell using a palms down grip that is about 15 inches apart.
2. Place the bar on your upper thighs, extend your arms and lock them while keeping a slight bend on the elbows. This will be your starting position.
3. Now raise the weight using a semicircular motion and keeping your arms straight as you inhale. Continue the same movement until the bar is on the other side above your head . (Tip: the bar will travel approximately 180-degrees). At this point your arms should be parallel to the floor with the palms of your hands facing the ceiling.
4. Now return the barbell to the starting position by reversing the motion as you exhale.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

3. Around The Worlds

68.4% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lay down on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palms of the hands facing towards the ceiling. Tip: Your arms should be parallel to the floor and next to your thighs. To avoid injury, make sure that you keep your elbows slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
2. Now move the dumbbells by creating a semi-circle as you displace them from the initial position to over the head. All of the movement should happen with the arms parallel to the floor at all times. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
3. Reverse the movement to return the weight to the starting position as you exhale.

4. Dumbbell Flyes

67.7% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
2. Then using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width with the palms of your hands facing each other. Raise the dumbbells up like you're pressing them, but stop and hold just before you lock out. This will be your starting position.
3. With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Keep in mind that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.
4. Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and breathe out. Tip: Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.
5. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

5. Dumbbell Incline Fly

64.2% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle.
2. Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
3. Lie back on the bench and press the dumbbells up to the starting position, directly above your chest.
4. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
5. Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position.

6. Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover

64.2% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
2. Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and legs bent with feet firmly on the floor. The head will be off the bench as well.
3. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arms length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside one of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position. Caution: Always ensure that the dumbbell used for this exercise is secure. Using a dumbbell with loose plates can result in the dumbbell falling apart and falling on your face.
4. While keeping your arms straight, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest.
5. At that point, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and exhale as you perform this movement.

7. Dumbbell Incline Twisted Flyes

63.7% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2. Lie back on the bench and press the dumbbells up to the starting position, directly above your chest, with your arms extended.
3. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. As you lower the dumbbells, rotate your wrists so that your palms face forward at the bottom of the movement.
5. Reverse the motion and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles together at the top.

8. Kettlebell Pirate Supper Legs

63.6% Match

Delts Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand.
2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
3. Raise the kettlebell up to shoulder height, keeping your elbow close to your body.
4. Extend your arm fully overhead, straightening your elbow.
5. Lower the kettlebell back down to shoulder height, then return to the starting position.

9. Barbell Decline Close Grip To Skull Press

61% Match

Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and hold a barbell with a close grip.
2. Lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
3. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms to press the barbell back up to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

10. Dumbbell Upright Row

60.9% Match

Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
2. Let the dumbbells hang in front of your thighs, with your arms fully extended.
3. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, exhale and lift the dumbbells straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise Alternative

You may substitute the Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise because of shoulder pain, limited equipment, or to emphasize different scapular mechanics. The incline position can aggravate impingement or anterior deltoid strain; switching to horizontal protraction (push-up plus) or cable punches reduces elevation while preserving serratus work. If you lack a bench or dumbbells, wall slides with active protraction isolate serratus activation with low load. For rehab, use slow tempo and cue 'protract at the top' so the serratus wraps the scapula around the ribcage. Biomechanically, good alternatives prioritize scapular protraction and upward rotation to maintain serratus length–tension and functional stabilization.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your goal, equipment, and shoulder health. For hypertrophy pick an exercise that allows progressive overload, use cable or dumbbell serratus punches and increase load while maintaining clean protraction; cue: push until full scapular protraction and hold 1–2 seconds. For stability or rehab choose low-load, high-control drills (wall slides, serratus push-ups) with slow eccentric tempo to train neuromuscular control. If pain limits range avoid overhead elevation and favor horizontal protraction patterns. Verify activation by feeling the serratus along the lateral ribs and prioritize exercises that let you increase resistance without losing scapular mechanics.

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