Shoulders · Isolation movement
Incline Dumbbell Y-Raise
An isolation exercise for the shoulders, with the traps working too. You need dumbbells and an incline bench.
Primary muscle
Shoulders
Secondary muscles
Traps
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Incline Dumbbell Y-Raise
- Stand tall with the dumbbells at your sides, a slight bend in the elbow that stays fixed for the whole rep, and the shoulders pulled down away from the ears.
- Lead with the elbows, raise the arms out to the sides as if pouring water out of a glass at the top.
- Stop when the upper arms are roughly at shoulder height; chasing height past that point recruits the upper traps instead of the side delts.
- Lower under control on a 2–3 second eccentric; do not let the load drop back to the sides on a free fall.
- Avoid using the torso to throw the weight up. If you have to rock to start the rep, the weight is too heavy.
Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Using the torso to throw the load up instead of raising the arms with the side delts.
- •Raising the arms above shoulder height and shrugging the upper traps to finish the rep.
- •Letting the wrist tilt up so the front of the shoulder takes over (a common cue when the load is too heavy).
- •Dropping the load back to the sides on a free fall instead of controlling the eccentric.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Incline Dumbbell Y-Raise fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize shoulders volume.
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