Dumbbell Standing Alternating Cross Raise

The Dumbbell Standing Alternating Cross Raise targets the shoulders and upper back. This exercise improves shoulder stability and strength.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Raise one dumbbell diagonally across your body to shoulder height while keeping your arm straight.
  3. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm.
  4. Continue alternating arms for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Dumbbell Standing Alternating Cross Raise

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Standing Alternating Cross Raise using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your pectoralis major.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your pectoralis major rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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