10 Best Shoulder Raise Alternatives for Limited Equipment

If you can't do the Shoulder Raise, use exercises that load the delts through similar planes. Try band lateral raises, dumbbell front raises, bent-over reverse flies, face pulls, or pike push-ups. Cue: keep a slight elbow bend and lift from the shoulder (not the traps) to maximize lateral deltoid activation and limit scapular elevation.

Original Exercise: Shoulder Raise

Shoulder Raise
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Lats
How to Perform Shoulder Raise
  1. Relax your arms to your sides and raise your shoulders up toward your ears, then back down.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Stretching
  • Force: Pull

Ranked Shoulder Raise Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Standing Around World

1. Dumbbell Standing Around World

98.1% 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.
  2. Extend your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
  3. Keeping your arms straight, slowly rotate your arms in a circular motion, bringing the dumbbells in front of your body and then overhead.
  4. Continue the circular motion, bringing the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Weighted Front Raise

2. Weighted Front Raise

96% Match
Delts Weighted Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs.
  2. Keeping your arms straight, exhale and lift the dumbbells in front of you until they are at shoulder level.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise

3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise

94.4% 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, palms facing your body.
  2. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  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 Lateral To Front Raise

4. Dumbbell Lateral To Front Raise

93.9% 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 your palms facing your body.
  2. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Next, raise your arms in front of you until they are parallel to the ground, again keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
Kettlebell Pirate Supper Legs

5. Kettlebell Pirate Supper Legs

92.6% 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.
Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise With Support

6. Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise With Support

92.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand, with your palm facing your body.
  2. Place your other hand on a stable surface, such as a bench or wall, for support.
  3. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
  4. Raise the dumbbell out to the side, keeping your arm straight and your palm facing down.
  5. Continue lifting until your arm is parallel to the ground.
Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise

7. Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise

90.9% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing your body.
  2. Keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the exercise.
  3. Raise the dumbbell to the side, keeping your arm straight and your palm facing down.
  4. Continue lifting until your arm is parallel to the ground.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Upright Row

8. Dumbbell Upright Row

89.9% 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.
Landmine Lateral Raise

9. Landmine Lateral Raise

89.8% Match
Delts Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, resting it on the front of your shoulders.
  3. Keeping your core engaged and back straight, lift the barbell up and away from your body, raising it to shoulder height.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Lever Lateral Raise

10. Lever Lateral Raise

87.9% Match
Delts Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your back against the pad.
  2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and keep your arms straight.
  3. Exhale and raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Shoulder Raise Alternative

You may substitute the Shoulder Raise for several reasons: pain during abduction, lack of dumbbells, or the need for higher mechanical tension. Isolation raises place local stress on the lateral deltoid and the rotator cuff; if you feel anterior shoulder pinching, switch to posterior-focused moves like face pulls or bent-over reverse flies to improve scapular retraction and posterior delt activation. Bands provide continuous tension and reduce compressive loading at end-range, cue: lead with the elbow, stop at shoulder height, and avoid shrugging to keep the medial deltoid working. For progressive overload choose compound presses to recruit the delts through larger motor patterns while preserving shoulder joint health.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your goal, joint status, and available gear. If you want medial head isolation with low equipment, pick band lateral raises and focus on slow eccentrics and a slight elbow bend to keep tension on the deltoid. If you need to spare the anterior shoulder, choose bent-over reverse flies or face pulls and emphasize scapular retraction to shift load to the posterior delts. For size and strength, prioritize compound options (overhead press variations) and progress load or volume. Also consider movement plane, shoulder kinematics, and ability to maintain neutral scapula, stop or regress when you see excessive shrugging or elbow flaring.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Shoulder Raise work?

The Shoulder Raise primarily targets the lateral (middle) deltoid, with secondary contribution from the anterior deltoid and upper trapezius; the rotator cuff stabilizes the glenohumeral joint. Cue a slight elbow bend and lift through the shoulder joint to maximize lateral delt activation and reduce trap involvement.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Shoulder Raise?

The best bodyweight alternative for overall shoulder loading is the pike push-up, progressing to wall-assisted handstand push-ups for more vertical overload. Cue: drive through the shoulders, maintain scapular protraction/retraction control, and keep the head moving between your hands to emphasize deltoid recruitment.

Can I build muscle without doing Shoulder Raise?

Yes. You can build deltoid size using compound presses (overhead press, push press), horizontal and vertical pushing variations, and posterior work like face pulls and reverse flies for balanced development. Focus on progressive overload, controlled tempo, and cues, slight elbow bend and lead with the elbow, to ensure consistent deltoid activation.

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