Seated Behind Back Raise
Seated Behind Back Raise Exercise Description
The Seated Behind Back Raise is a bodyweight shoulder-extension drill performed upright to strengthen the posterior deltoids and the upper-back scapular stabilizers (middle and lower trapezius, rhomboids). From a seated position, the arms reach behind the hips and lift away from the body using controlled shoulder extension while the shoulder blades retract and depress. The goal is precise end‑range control rather than large motion, reinforcing upright posture with a neutral spine and steady scapular positioning. When done correctly, you should feel work in the back of the shoulders and between the shoulder blades, not in the neck or lower back. Keep the movement small, smooth, and within a comfortable, pain‑free range.
- Muscle Groups: Delts, Shoulders
- Target Muscles: Deltoid - Posterior
- Assisting Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi, Teres Major
- Stabilizing Muscles: Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Shoulders
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Shoulder Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Rear Shoulder
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Seated Behind Back Raise Exercise
‘- Sit tall near the front of a sturdy chair or bench; feet flat, knees roughly 90°, spine neutral, ribs stacked over pelvis.
– Reach both arms behind your hips; let the hands meet lightly (no forcing). Keep wrists neutral and elbows straight but not locked.
– Set your shoulders: draw the shoulder blades gently down and together (scapular depression and retraction) without shrugging.
– Brace lightly through the trunk; keep the chest open without flaring the ribs or arching the lower back.
– Exhale and lift the hands away from your sacrum by extending the shoulders; keep the torso still and chin neutral.
– Pause briefly at the top while maintaining scapular control; avoid pinching sensations at the front of the shoulder.
– Lower the hands back toward the body with control, keeping elbows straight and shoulders down.
– Maintain smooth, even breathing; stop the range before any pain, neck tension, or lumbar extension occurs.
Seated Behind Back Raise Tips
‘- Sit tall near the front of the chair with feet flat, knees about 90°, and a neutral spine with ribs stacked over the pelvis.
– Let the hands meet lightly behind your hips without forcing them together, keeping wrists neutral.
– Keep your elbows straight but not locked throughout the movement.
– Gently draw your shoulder blades down and together, and avoid shrugging as you set your shoulders.
– Brace lightly through your trunk and keep the chest open without flaring the ribs or arching the lower back.
– As you exhale, lift your hands away from the sacrum by extending the shoulders while keeping the torso still and the chin neutral.
– Use a small, smooth, controlled range and pause briefly at the top while maintaining scapular control.
– Lower the hands back toward the body with control, keeping the elbows straight and the shoulders down.
– Stay within a comfortable, pain-free range and stop before you feel pain, neck tension, or lower-back extension.
Seated Behind Back Raise Beginner Introduction
The Seated Behind Back Raise is a seated bodyweight move that targets the rear shoulders and the muscles across the upper back that help guide the shoulder blades. From an upright position on a chair or bench, the arms travel behind the hips and the hands hover slightly behind the body. The lift comes from moving the shoulders backward rather than swinging through a big arc, so the motion tends to feel subtle and deliberate.
This exercise highlights postural control and steady positioning of the shoulder blades. As the arms rise, the blades glide slightly down and inward while the spine stays long and centered over the pelvis. The emphasis is on gentle, end-range strength around the back of the shoulders and the area between the shoulder blades, with minimal effort in the neck or lower back. Breathing stays even and unforced, and the arc of the arms remains modest and comfortable, turning this into a precise control drill rather than a momentum-based stretch or swing.