# Bodyweight Rear Delt And Back Raise - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/9539/bodyweight-rear-delt-and-back-raise/ - Media ID: 9539 - Primary muscle: Shoulders - Body part: Shoulders - Equipment: Body Weight - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/9539/bodyweight-rear-delt-and-back-raise.mp4 ## Description The Bodyweight Rear Delt And Back Raise is a standing, no-equipment movement where you clasp your hands behind your lower back and lift your arms up and away from your body. Because your hands stay connected behind you, the lift is driven almost entirely by the rear shoulders and the muscles that pull the shoulder blades together, which makes it one of the simplest ways to isolate the back of the shoulders without dumbbells, bands, or cables. This movement is especially useful for anyone whose training or daily posture leans heavily forward. Desk workers, drivers, and lifters who do a lot of pressing tend to have dormant rear shoulders and tight chest tissue, and this raise directly trains shoulder extension plus scapular retraction — the exact opposite of that slouched position. It is also a gentle enough pattern that beginners can learn it, yet strong enough as a contraction that experienced lifters use it as a warm-up primer before pressing or pulling days. To perform it well, stand tall with your feet roughly hip-width apart, interlace your fingers (or press your palms together) behind your sacrum, and let your arms hang long. From there, keep your ribs stacked over your pelvis and lift your hands away from your back, straightening the elbows as far as comfortable while your chest naturally opens. The end position has your arms lifted behind you, shoulder blades drawn together, and a deliberate squeeze across the upper back. Setup matters more here than in most bodyweight moves because the spine is the thing that gives first. If you arch your lower back hard or push your ribs forward to fake extra range, your lumbar extensors take over and the rear shoulders get a much weaker signal. Keeping the neck relaxed and the torso quiet is what turns this from a backbend into a precise rear delt and upper back exercise. Common use cases include prehab warm-ups, active recovery between heavy sessions, home workouts with no equipment, and high-rep finisher sets for the rear shoulders. Because the resistance is only your own arm weight, it works best with slow tempo, pauses at the top, and higher rep ranges rather than maximum effort. The main safety note is in the shoulder position itself: the raise should feel like a stretch-across-the-chest with muscular effort behind you, never a pinch at the front of the shoulder. If you feel pinching, reduce the range, bend the elbows slightly, or widen your hand position. Anyone with a current shoulder injury should clear the movement with a qualified professional first. ## Instructions 1. Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart, weight balanced through both feet, and your shoulders relaxed down away from your ears. 2. Reach both arms behind you and clasp your hands together at the level of your lower back, letting your arms hang naturally before you begin the lift. 3. Gently brace your abdominal wall so your ribs stay stacked over your pelvis — this keeps your lower back from arching to cheat the movement. 4. Keeping your torso still, pull your shoulder blades toward each other and begin lifting your clasped hands up and away from your back. 5. Straighten your elbows as you rise, and continue lifting only as high as your shoulders allow without pain at the front of the joint. 6. At the top, pause for one to two seconds and squeeze the rear shoulders and the muscles between your shoulder blades. 7. Lower your arms slowly back toward your lower back, resisting gravity on the way down instead of dropping them. 8. Exhale as you raise your arms, and inhale as you lower them back to the start. 9. Complete your reps in one continuous set, resetting your grip and posture between sets rather than letting your shoulders creep up toward your ears. ## Tips & Tricks - The most common mistake is turning this into a lower back backbend. Lock in your rib position first; if your chest thrusts forward as you lift, you have gone past your real shoulder range. - If interlaced fingers pull on your wrists or elbows, press your palms together or hold a small towel between your hands instead. - Keep your neck long and your gaze forward. Many people jut the chin up as the arms rise, which tensions the upper traps and steals work from the rear shoulders. - Bend your elbows slightly if the straight-arm position pinches at the front of your shoulders — the lift should feel like effort behind you, not compression in front. - Do not chase height. A controlled lift to hip or low back height with a strong squeeze beats yanking your arms up high with an arched spine. - Pause at the top of every rep. Because your arm weight is the only load, the two-second hold is where the rear shoulders and rhomboids actually get challenged. - Warm the shoulders up first with a few arm circles or wall slides; cold rear deltoids tend to feel this movement as a pinch rather than a contraction. - Keep your knees soft rather than locked, especially if you tend to lean back as you lift. - If one side lifts higher than the other, slow the tempo and let the tighter side set the range for both arms. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Bodyweight Rear Delt And Back Raise work? The rear shoulders do the lifting, while the rhomboids and middle traps pull the shoulder blades together. The lats and teres major assist as the arms extend behind you. ### Is this exercise good for beginners? Yes. With no external load and a short, self-limited range, beginners can safely learn the rear delt and scapular retraction pattern before progressing to bands or dumbbells. ### How many reps should I do of the Bodyweight Rear Delt And Back Raise? Because your arm weight provides the only resistance, aim for 10–20 reps per set with a 1–2 second pause at the top. Use it as a warm-up primer or a high-rep finisher. ### Why do my lower back muscles fatigue before my rear shoulders? You are likely arching your spine to gain extra lift height. Brace your abs, keep your ribs stacked over your pelvis, and reduce the range until the work shifts back to your upper back. ### My shoulders pinch at the front when my hands rise — what should I change? Lower the end range, bend your elbows slightly, and separate your hands a little wider behind your back. If the pinch persists, stop and have a shoulder assessment before continuing. ### Can I do the Bodyweight Rear Delt And Back Raise every day? For most people, yes — it is a low-load movement commonly used daily as a posture and warm-up drill. Keep the intensity moderate and stop if you notice lingering shoulder soreness. ### What can I substitute if I cannot clasp my hands behind my back? Hold a small towel between your hands, use a resistance band held behind your back, or perform bent-over reverse flys with light dumbbells to train the same rear delt and upper back pattern. ### Should my elbows stay straight during the raise? Straight elbows give the longest lever and the greatest rear delt demand, but a slight bend is fine if it keeps your shoulders comfortable. Consistency of arm position matters more than perfectly locked elbows. ### How is this different from a regular reverse fly? A reverse fly moves the arms out to the sides in front of your body, while this raise extends them behind you with hands clasped. That changes the line of work toward shoulder extension and makes the chest-opening stretch more pronounced.