The Dumbbell Archer targets your upper body strength and stability. This exercise mimics the motion of drawing a bow, engaging your shoulders, chest, and core.
- Start in a standing position, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
- Extend the opposite arm out to the side, as if pulling back a bowstring.
- Engage your core and maintain a stable stance.
- Pull the dumbbell towards your shoulder while keeping your elbow high.
- Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired reps before switching sides.
How to perform the Dumbbell Archer
- Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Archer using your dumbbell.
- Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your deltoids.
- 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 deltoids 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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