Scaption raise
Standing with light dumbbells, the thumbs up, the long arms rise forward and a little out, between the front and the side, to shoulder height: ACE's V-raise, rated beginner.
Lateral raise family
Scaption raise
DemandEasy
Equipment requiredA dumbbell
Muscle focusShoulders · Chest
Loading the 3D figure…
Watch it bigger, and flip through similar moves, in the studio.Open in the studio
Source-researched guide. Clinical review is pending.
How to move
- Stand with light dumbbells at the sides, the thumbs up.
- Raise the long arms forward and a little out, about 30 degrees from straight ahead, to shoulder height.
- Lower them slowly.
Form cues
- Lead with the thumbs.
- Stop at shoulder height.
Practice and cautions
No universal dose is assigned. Choose a manageable amount for your current capacity, leave room for controlled repetitions, and allow recovery. A clinician’s individual plan takes priority.
This is movement education, not an assessment or treatment prescription. Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling; seek individual guidance for symptoms, injury or restrictions.
Sources and review status
Sources support the educational description; they do not establish that this exercise is suitable for you.
- ACE · V-raise, the arms rising between front and side (beginner) ↗
- Free Exercise DB · community text ↗
Unlicense · Free Exercise DB contributors; derived from wrkout/exercises.json. Text import; no photographs or media. · Revision f00c92c7dcf1216a928a52c3706c7ce8e2f71ed5
No variation is labeled clinically validated.
What it works
Muscles
Main: Shoulders. Also: Chest.
Anatomy: Deltoid, Rotator cuff, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, Teres minor.
Equipment
A dumbbell
Level
Beginner. See the easier and harder options above.
Workouts that use it
- Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band) · 25 min
- Tennis and padel injury prevention · 25 min
- Volleyball warm-up · 15 min
- Volleyball injury prevention · 30 min
- Activate rugby warm-up: the adult sample phase · 25 min
- Wheelchair workout: seated cardio and shoulder-protecting strength · 30 min
- Throwing arm strength workout · 35 min
- Throws warm-up: safety checks, spine and shoulder mobility, Shoulder Control and build-up throws · 20 min
Show all 13 workoutsShow fewer workouts
- Handball warm-up: Knee Control, Shoulder Control, landings and a throwing build-up · 20 min
- Strength workout for handball players: jumps, barbell lifts, Shoulder Control, Nordics and Copenhagens · 55 min
- Dryland workout for water polo: jumps, heavy lifts, shoulder care and hips for the eggbeater · 55 min
- Water polo warm-up: shoulders, rotator cuff, trunk rotation and hips on the poolside · 12 min
- Dryland workout for divers: take-off jumps, landings, legs, wrists, shoulders and entry shapes · 45 min
Pain guides that use it
Part of a staged plan, with when to get help first.
- Shoulder pain: exercises that help, and when to get it checked
- Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff pain: the exercises that help, and what surgery trials found
- Rotator cuff tear: exercises without surgery, and when a tear needs a surgeon
- Frozen shoulder: exercises matched to how sore it is, and what really helps
- Shoulder arthritis: exercises, honest evidence, and when to see a surgeon
- After a shoulder dislocation, and shoulders that slip: rehab exercises and the real risk of it happening again
- Exercises after a broken shoulder: the sling, pendulums and getting your arm moving again
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: exercises, the warning signs, and when surgery helps
Show all 59 pain guidesShow fewer pain guides
- AC joint injury and pain: a separated shoulder, AC joint arthritis and weightlifter's shoulder
- Biceps tendinitis in the shoulder: exercises, the rotator cuff link, and when it's a tear
- SLAP tear: why most don't need surgery, exercises that help, and getting back to throwing
- Winged scapula: why a shoulder blade sticks out, the nerve causes to rule out, and exercises that help
- Calcific tendonitis of the shoulder: the painful phase, what helps, and whether you need barbotage
- Exercises after a shoulder replacement: the stages, and the precautions for reverse and anatomic replacements
- Exercises after a broken collarbone: the sling, the recovery stages and getting back to sport
- Exercises after rotator cuff repair surgery: the sling, the recovery stages and the warning signs
- Little League shoulder: growth plate pain in young throwers, how long to rest, and getting back to throwing
- Exercises after shoulder stabilisation surgery: recovery after a Bankart repair or Latarjet
- Shoulder pain when bench pressing: what's likely, what to change and how to build back
- UCL injury of the elbow: rest and rehab or Tommy John surgery, and the way back to throwing
- Shoulder pain when swimming (swimmer's shoulder): what to change in the pool and how to build back
- Shoulder pain at night: lying on your side, the rotator cuff, frozen shoulder and how to sleep
- Shoulder pain when lifting your arm: the painful arc, rotator cuff, frozen shoulder and what helps
- Front of shoulder pain: the biceps tendon, rotator cuff, AC joint, the joint and when to worry
- Upper arm pain: the rotator cuff, biceps and triceps, a trapped nerve, a break and the heart
- Arm pain: the shoulder, elbow, forearm, a nerve from the neck or the heart, and how to build back
- Collarbone pain: a break, the AC and SC joints, the muscles, glands above it, and how to build back
- Shoulder pain after a workout: soreness or injury, the lifts behind it, and training again
- Shoulder pain in women: rotator cuff, frozen shoulder, the menopause, babies and heart attack signs
- Shoulder pain in older adults: rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder, arthritis, falls and what helps
- Shoulder pain in children and teens: falls, sport, a shoulder that slips, and the signs to check
- Shoulder pain in men: dislocations and the gym, the rotator cuff later, and heart attack signs
- Shoulder pain in menopause and perimenopause: frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, neck and heart signs
- Shoulder pain in pregnancy: posture, the neck, sleeping on your side, and ectopic and other signs
- Shoulder pain when reaching behind your back: the rotator cuff, frozen shoulder, the front, dressing
- Shoulder pain when throwing: the rotator cuff, the labrum, instability, throwing load and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing push-ups: the rotator cuff, the AC joint, hand position and what helps
- Upper back pain when lifting your arm: the shoulder blade, the rotator cuff, the neck and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing pull-ups: the rotator cuff, the front of the shoulder, grip and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing overhead presses: the rotator cuff, the AC joint, grip and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing lateral raises: the rotator cuff, height, angle, thumbs and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing dips: the front of the shoulder, depth, the AC joint and what helps
- Shoulder pain on the lat pulldown: the front of the shoulder, behind the neck, grip and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing rows: the front of the shoulder, seated, cable and bent-over rows, grip, elbows and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing upright rows: the pinch at the top, grip width, elbow height and swaps
- Shoulder pain when doing bicep curls: the biceps tendon, swinging, elbows drifting and swaps
- Shoulder pain on the chest fly: the front of the shoulder, the pec tendon, depth and the pec deck
- Shoulder pain on the rowing machine: the front of the shoulder, shoulder blade, grip and the damper
- Shoulder pain from golf: the lead shoulder, backswing, rotator cuff, AC joint and what helps
- Shoulder pain from tennis: the serve, rotator cuff, labrum, racket and strings, and what helps
- Shoulder pain from pickleball: overheads, the rotator cuff, a stiff shoulder, falls and what helps
- Shoulder pain when driving: steering, the seatbelt, the rotator cuff, slings and after surgery
- Shoulder pain after shovelling: rotator cuff, throwing snow, a fall on ice, the heart and what helps
- Shoulder pain from carrying: bags, backpacks, a baby or toddler, the rotator cuff and what helps
- Shoulder pain after painting: walls, ceilings, holding a roller up, the rotator cuff and what helps
- Shoulder pain from bowling: fast and spin bowling, throwing in the field, ten-pin, and what helps
- Shoulder pain from surfing (surfer's shoulder): paddling, pop-ups, wipeouts, the neck and what helps
- Shoulder pain from volleyball: spiking and serving, the rotator cuff, the labrum and what helps
- Shoulder pain from rugby: tackles, dislocations, the AC joint, the rotator cuff, stingers and help
Guides that use it
- Pilates for shoulder pain guide
- Pilates for the rotator cuff guide
- Pilates for shoulder impingement guide
- Pilates for breast cancer guide
- Yoga for shoulder impingement guide
- Shoulder joint guide
- Kinesiology tape guide
- Exercise for hypermobility
Show all 27 guidesShow fewer guides
- Exercise for wheelchair users
- Exercises after breast cancer surgery
- Exercise after a spinal cord injury
- Lateral raises guide
- How to get wider shoulders guide
- Upright rows guide
- Front raises guide
- External rotations guide
- Kettlebell halos guide
- Scapular push-ups guide
- Cuban press guide
- Strengthen your shoulders guide
- Strengthen your rotator cuff guide
- Tennis and padel guide
- Volleyball guide
- Baseball and softball guide
- Handball guide
- Water polo guide
- Diving guide
Similar moves
3D demoAlternating front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoAlternating hammer-grip front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoBarbell front raise to overheadIntermediate · A barbell
3D demoCable front raiseBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoCable lateral raiseBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoDumbbell front raise to overheadIntermediate · A dumbbellBrowse more
Questions people ask
What muscles does the Scaption raise work?
Mainly the shoulders, with help from the chest.
What equipment do I need for the Scaption raise?
A dumbbell.
Is the Scaption raise good for beginners?
It is graded beginner, so it suits most people starting out. When it feels easy, try the Smith machine upright row.
What is an easier alternative to the Scaption raise?
Try the Band lateral raise. Both are written steps in the same progression.
How do I make the Scaption raise harder?
Progress to the Smith machine upright row or the Upright barbell row. Follow that guide’s technique and any stated timing.