Description
An upper body exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, but also works the biceps. The person should be seated on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. The arms should be raised to shoulder height and then lowered back to the starting position.
How to Do Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise
- 1Setup
Adjust an incline bench to a 30-45 degree angle and sit with your back firmly against the pad, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
- 2Setup
Allow the dumbbells to hang naturally at your sides, keeping your chest up, shoulders slightly protracted, and a soft bend in your elbows.
- 3
Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells forward and upward in a controlled arc, maintaining the slight elbow bend, until your arms are roughly parallel to your torso.
- 4
Focus on actively protracting your shoulder blades as if pushing your chest forward without shrugging your shoulders.
- 5
Hold briefly at the top, squeezing your serratus anterior, then inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control, resisting the pull of gravity.
Tips
- Visualize your shoulder blades wrapping around your rib cage as you raise the dumbbells to maximize serratus anterior activation.
- Emphasize the controlled eccentric (lowering) phase to enhance muscle engagement and reduce momentum throughout the movement.
- Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise to maintain a stable torso and prevent compensatory arching of the lower back.
Common Mistakes
- ×Shrugging your shoulders instead of protracting them shifts tension to your upper trapezius; actively depress and protract your shoulder blades to target the serratus anterior effectively.
- ×Using excessive weight can lead to momentum and poor form; reduce the weight to ensure strict control and focus on the muscle-mind connection for optimal activation.
- ×Allowing the weights to drop quickly on the eccentric phase reduces time under tension; control the descent to fully engage the target muscles and prevent injury.
Variations
Dumbbell Incline One Arm Press
Target your upper chest and shoulders with the Dumbbell Incline One Arm Press. This exercise builds unilateral strength and muscle symmetry using a single
Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly
Isolate your upper chest with the Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly. This targeted exercise builds definition and strength in the pectoralis major clavicular
Dumbbell Incline Fly
Sculpt your upper chest with the Dumbbell Incline Fly. This isolation exercise effectively targets the pectoralis major clavicular head for defined pecs.
Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
Sculpt a strong upper chest with the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press. This exercise isolates the clavicular head of the pectoralis major for targeted
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Dumbbell One Arm Bench Fly
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Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
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