Dumbbell Unilateral Scapula Raise

The Dumbbell Unilateral Scapula Raise targets the muscles of the upper back and shoulders.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Keep your arm straight and raise the dumbbell out to the side, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blade.
  3. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Dumbbell Unilateral Scapula Raise

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Unilateral Scapula 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 rotator cuff.
  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 rotator cuff 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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