5 Alternatives to Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise for Small Spaces

If you can’t perform the Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise, use bent-over dumbbell rear delt fly, face pulls, cable rear-delt fly, reverse pec-deck, or band pull-aparts. Focus on horizontal abduction and external rotation, keep a 30° elbow bend, and lead the movement from the elbow to isolate the posterior deltoid.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise

Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Trapezius, Rhomboids
How to Perform Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise
  1. Lie face down on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Engaging your shoulder muscles, lift your arms up and out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise

1. Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise

95.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Engaging your shoulder muscles, lift your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

2. Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

89.1% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the floor.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Lying One Arm Rear Lateral Raise

3. Dumbbell Lying One Arm Rear Lateral Raise

88.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand, hanging towards the floor.
  2. Keep your arm straight and lift the dumbbell out to the side, away from your body.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise

4. Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise

87.7% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While holding a dumbbell in one hand, lay with your chest down on a flat bench. The other hand can be used to hold to the leg of the bench for stability.
  2. Position the palm of the hand that is holding the dumbbell in a neutral manner (palms facing your torso) as you keep the arm extended with the elbow slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now raise the arm with the dumbbell to the side until your elbow is at shoulder height and your arm is roughly parallel to the floor as you exhale. Tip: Maintain your arm perpendicular to the torso while keeping your arm extended throughout the movement. Also, keep the contraction at the top for a second.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

5. Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

87.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight while holding a dumbbell in each hand and with an incline bench in front of you.
  2. While keeping your back straight and maintaining the natural arch of your back, lean forward until your forehead touches the bench in front of you. Let the arms hang in front of you perpendicular to the ground. The palms of your hands should be facing each other and your torso should be parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  3. Keeping your torso forward and stationary, and the arms straight with a slight bend at the elbows, lift the dumbbells straight to the side until both arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you lift the weights. Caution: avoid swinging the torso or bringing the arms back as opposed to the side.
  4. After a one second contraction at the top, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

6. Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

87.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your chest against the backrest and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  3. Extend your arms straight down with your palms facing each other.
  4. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
Dumbbell Incline T-raise

7. Dumbbell Incline T-raise

87.4% Match
Delts 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 inwards.
  2. Lean forward and let your arms hang straight down, perpendicular to the floor.
  3. Keeping your arms straight, raise them out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, forming a 'T' shape with your body.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Incline Y-raise

8. Dumbbell Incline Y-raise

87.4% Match
Delts 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 inwards.
  2. Lean forward slightly and let your arms hang straight down, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides and up in a Y shape until they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise (support Head)

9. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise (support Head)

87.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Lying Rear Delt Raise

10. Lying Rear Delt Raise

86.9% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While holding a dumbbell in each hand, lay with your chest down on a flat bench.
  2. Position the palms of the hands in a neutral manner (palms facing your torso) as you keep the arms extended with the elbows slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now raise the arms to the side until your elbows are at shoulder height and your arms are roughly parallel to the floor as you exhale. Tip: Maintain your arms perpendicular to the torso while keeping them extended throughout the movement. Also, keep the contraction at the top for a second.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and then switch to the other arm.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise Alternative

You may substitute this exercise for shoulder pain, limited floor space, lack of progressive overload, or equipment constraints. Floor positioning limits range of motion and can cause compensatory trap activation; alternatives allow greater horizontal abduction and scapular retraction to better load the posterior deltoid. Use cues like maintain scapular retraction, avoid shrugging, and hinge at the hips with a neutral spine to preserve shoulder mechanics and reduce impingement.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on available equipment, desired range of motion, and injury history. For maximal posterior-delt isolation choose a bent-over dumbbell fly with a 30–45° torso hinge and lead with the elbow; for external-rotation and scapular control pick face pulls or band pull-aparts using a slow 2-0-2 tempo. If you need progressive loading use cables or the pec-deck to adjust resistance while keeping the shoulder at ~90° horizontal abduction to minimize trap dominance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise work?

The exercise primarily targets the posterior deltoid, with secondary loading of the rhomboids, posterior rotator cuff (infraspinatus/teres minor), and mid-trapezius. Biomechanically it performs shoulder horizontal abduction and slight external rotation; cue a 30° elbow bend and lead through the elbow to emphasize the rear delt over the traps.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise?

Prone Y‑T raises on the floor are an effective bodyweight substitute; perform T raises for horizontal abduction and Y raises for upper posterior fibres. Cue a slight scapular retraction, lift the hands a few inches off the floor, and hold the contraction to increase time under tension for the posterior deltoid.

Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Lying On Floor Rear Delt Raise?

Yes. You can hypertrophy the posterior deltoid using alternatives like bent‑over rear delt flyes, face pulls, and cable rear‑delt flyes with progressive overload and controlled tempo. Emphasize strict form, hinge the torso, lead from the elbow, and use slow eccentrics, to maximize posterior delt activation and hypertrophic stimulus.

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