How many sets and reps of the dumbbell goalpost pulse should a beginner do?

Start with 2 sets of 20 to 30 slow pulses using very light dumbbells, 1 to 3 pounds, resting a minute between sets. Once you can hold the goalpost shape without the elbows drifting for the full set, add a third set before adding any weight.

What can I use instead of dumbbells for the goalpost pulse?

Light water bottles, canned goods, or ankle weights strapped to the wrists work fine since the position only needs a little resistance. You can also anchor a light resistance band in front of you at shoulder height and hold an end in each hand, so the band resists as the elbows draw back, adding tension without any weights at all.

What is the goalpost pulse good for and who should skip it?

It trains rear and middle delt endurance and the postural muscles that pressing and rowing rarely reach, making it a useful shoulder-health finisher or warm-up primer. Skip it, or keep the weight essentially nil, if you have an acute rotator cuff issue or shoulder impingement flare, since holding the arms lifted and externally rotated can aggravate it.

Beginner

Dumbbell Goalpost Pulse

Holding light dumbbells in a goalpost position, with elbows at shoulder height and forearms vertical, this barre move pulses the arms back and up to load the rear and side delts along with the shoulder external rotators. It builds shoulder endurance and postural strength in a position that pressing rarely trains. Use it as a shoulder-health finisher or inside an arm series.

Equipment: Dumbbell
Body part: Shoulder
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Deltoid Posterior, Deltoid Middle
Browse by movement: Horizontal Pull

How to do it

1
Stand tall and raise light dumbbells so your elbows are at shoulder height and bent ninety degrees.
2
Point the forearms up so the arms form a goalpost or field-goal shape, palms facing forward.
3
Draw the elbows back and squeeze the shoulder blades slightly together.
4
Hold that position and pulse the arms back and up through a small range.
5
Keep the ribs down and the shoulders pressed away from the ears.
6
Continue for the prescribed reps or time, then lower under control.

Tips

Keep the forearms vertical so the wrists stack over the elbows.
Pulse by drawing the elbows back, not by shrugging the shoulders up.
Brace the core so the low back does not arch as the arms move back.
Use a light weight; this position loads the small stabilizers quickly.

Variations

Common mistakes

Once fatigue sets in, the elbows sink below shoulder height, which shifts the load off the rear delts and onto the traps.
The ribcage flares up and forward as the arms pulse back, arching the low back to fake extra range.
The pulse turns into a big swinging pump instead of a short, controlled range, trading rear-delt tension for momentum.
Rotating the palms to face each other instead of forward flattens the goalpost shape and pulls the work into the biceps.
The neck cranes forward to check the mirror, tipping the shoulders forward and out of the packed, chest-tall position.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the dumbbell goalpost pulse should a beginner do?: Start with 2 sets of 20 to 30 slow pulses using very light dumbbells, 1 to 3 pounds, resting a minute between sets. Once you can hold the goalpost shape without the elbows drifting for the full set, add a third set before adding any weight.
What can I use instead of dumbbells for the goalpost pulse?: Light water bottles, canned goods, or ankle weights strapped to the wrists work fine since the position only needs a little resistance. You can also anchor a light resistance band in front of you at shoulder height and hold an end in each hand, so the band resists as the elbows draw back, adding tension without any weights at all.
What is the goalpost pulse good for and who should skip it?: It trains rear and middle delt endurance and the postural muscles that pressing and rowing rarely reach, making it a useful shoulder-health finisher or warm-up primer. Skip it, or keep the weight essentially nil, if you have an acute rotator cuff issue or shoulder impingement flare, since holding the arms lifted and externally rotated can aggravate it.

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