Setup & Positioning
Dumbbell Version:
"Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Keep a slight bend in your elbows, palms facing each other, and core braced."
Cable/Band Version:
"Set two cables at about chest height, cross your arms to grab the opposite handles (or hold each end of a resistance band anchored at chest height). Step back to create tension, elbows slightly bent, palms facing in."
Key point: “This is a movement for control, not momentum—keep it slow and steady.”
Execution
"Raise your arms out to the sides in a wide arc until they’re in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then slowly lower your arms back to the starting position under control."
Where You Should Feel It
- Rear delts (back of the shoulders)
- Rhomboids and traps between the shoulder blades
- Core lightly engaged to stabilize your torso
Where You Shouldn’t Feel It
- Lower back strain from rounding or overarching
- Neck tension from shrugging upward
- Elbows or wrists from locking joints rigidly
Breathing
"Exhale as you lift the arms, inhale as you lower them back down."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Swinging the weights – Reduces muscle activation.
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears – Keep them down and back.
- Overbending elbows – Turns it into more of a row.
- Cutting the range short – Lift until arms are in line with your shoulders.
