Barbell Rear Delt Raise
Barbell Rear Delt Raise pairs heavy bilateral barbell loading with round, durable shoulder caps — ready for real load and honest reps.
How to do Barbell Rear Delt Raise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Raise the barbell out to the sides, keeping your arms straight, until they are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Rear Delt Raise Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Common Barbell Rear Delt Raise Mistakes
Bouncing the bar to get through the hardest inch
Pause briefly so the muscle, not the rebound, does the work.
Shrugging the traps up to finish the last few reps
Keep the shoulder blade down and end the set when the shrug appears.
Letting the last set decay into a different exercise
End the set when the pattern changes, not when the reps run out.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Rear Delt Raise
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Barbell Rear Delt Raise — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Rear Delt Raise?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight. Raise the barbell out to the sides, keeping your arms straight, until they are parallel to the ground. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Rear Delt Raise work?
The Barbell Rear Delt Raise primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Rear Delt Raise should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Rear Delt Raise good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic shoulders patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Rear Delt Raise?
Try the Lever Shoulder Press V. 2, Dumbbell Reverse Fly or the Cable Front Shoulder Raise. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
