Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
How to do the Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
- 1
Lie back on an Incline Bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms straight. This will be your starting position.
- 2
While keeping the arms straight, lift the bar by protracting your shoulder blades, raising the shoulders from the bench as you breathe out.
- 3
Bring back the bar to the starting position as you breathe in.
- 4
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
How to program the Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Secondary muscles worked
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise work?
The Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise primarily targets the Shoulders. It also recruits the Chest as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise?
You need Barbell. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
