10 Best Dumbbell Raise Alternatives for Shoulder Isolation
The Dumbbell Raise is done standing with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: Handstand Push-ups and the Handstand Push-up.
Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works
Original Exercise: Dumbbell Raise
- Primary muscle
- Delts
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
Secondary muscles: Traps, Rhomboids
How to perform Dumbbell Raise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
- Keep your back straight and engage your core.
- Raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- 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 Raise Alternatives
10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Dumbbell 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. Elbow Dips
40% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
A looser match: it works the triceps rather than the delts.
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 Raise
2. Reverse Dip
39% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
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 Raise
3. Captains Chair Straight Leg Raise
38% 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
4. Ring Dips
35% 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 Raise
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Raise
Best match 
5. Handstand Push-ups
35% 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
- With your back to the wall bend at the waist and place both hands on the floor at shoulder width.
- Kick yourself up against the wall with your arms straight. Your body should be upside down with the arms and legs fully extended. Keep your whole body as straight as possible. Tip: If doing this for the first time, have a spotter help you. Also, make sure that you keep facing the wall with your head, rather than looking down.
- Slowly lower yourself to the ground as you inhale until your head almost touches the floor. Tip: It is of utmost importance that you come down slow in order to avoid head injury.
- Push yourself back up slowly as you exhale until your elbows are nearly locked.
- Repeat for the recommended amount 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 Raise
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Raise
6. Incline Push-up (On Box)
34% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Compound
A looser match: it works the pectorals rather than the delts.
How to perform this exercise
- Place your hands on the edge of a box or elevated surface, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet, creating a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Lower your chest towards the box by bending your elbows, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- 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: pectorals, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Raise
7. Elevator
33% match- Upper Back
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
A looser match: it works the upper back rather than the delts.
How to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Place your hands on your hips or cross them in front of your chest.
- Keeping your back straight, slowly bend forward at the waist, lowering your upper body towards the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly raise your upper 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: upper back, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Raise
8. Modified Hindu Push-up
33% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart.
- Lower your body towards the ground, bending your elbows and keeping your core engaged.
- As you lower your body, shift your weight back and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, creating an inverted V shape with your body.
- Continue to lower your body until your chest is just above the ground, then reverse the movement, pushing your hips back down and extending 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: pectorals, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Raise
9. Bodyweight Standing Row
32% match- Lats
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Grasp a bar or handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
- Keep your back straight and core engaged.
- Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
- Slowly release and extend your arms back to the starting position.
- 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: lats, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Dumbbell Raise
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Raise
10. Handstand Push-up
32% match- Delts
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
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 Raise
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Raise
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Raise Alternative
You may substitute dumbbell raises because of shoulder pain, limited ROM, or no access to dumbbells. Alternatives let you change the resistance curve and movement plane to keep the lateral deltoid loaded while reducing supraspinatus or anterior joint stress. For example, cables provide constant tension, set the pulley at hip height, lead with the elbow and stop at shoulder level to avoid impingement. Bands shorten the moment arm and reduce peak compression, while machines guide scapular plane motion to limit compensatory torso lean. Smart substitutions preserve mid-deltoid activation and maintain hypertrophy stimulus without aggravating vulnerable tissue.
How to Choose the Right Dumbbell Raise Substitute
Choose a substitute by testing muscle activation pattern, range of motion, and load progression. Do five slow reps while keeping the scapula retracted and depressed; lead with the elbow and note whether you feel the lateral deltoid before the traps. If traps dominate, reduce load or move 20–30 degrees anterior to the frontal plane (scaption). Consider equipment: bands scale tension through the ROM, cables give adjustable line-of-pull, and machines reduce stabilizer demand. Prioritize options that let you progressively overload the lateral deltoid while keeping the humeral head centered in the glenoid.
Dumbbell Raise FAQ
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Raise?
A prone scaption (Y-raise) on the floor or an incline bench is the best bodyweight option to target shoulder deltoids without weights: lie face down and lift the arms in a 30-degree anterior plane with thumbs up. Keep the neck neutral and squeeze the delts at the top, focusing on scapular control to feel delt, rather than trap, activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Raise?
Yes, you can build lateral deltoid mass using alternatives like cables, bands, machines, and compound presses combined with targeted isolation variants. Prioritize progressive overload and cues such as leading with the elbow and maintaining scapular stability to ensure the lateral delts receive the primary loading stimulus.
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