Lying Rear Delt Raise

What it is

This isolation exercise targets the posterior deltoids, which are the muscles at the back of your shoulders. You perform it by lying face down on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, then raising your arms out to the sides. It effectively strengthens and defines the rear part of your shoulder girdle.

Technique tips

• Keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement.
• Raise your arms until they are roughly parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you lift the dumbbells, inhale as you lower them.
• Pause briefly at the top of the raise to maximize muscle contraction.
• Focus on squeezing your rear deltoids, not swinging the weight.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.