Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Lateral shoulderAbout
This is a workout that targets the sides of your shoulders. By working on the sides of your shoulders, you can achieve a wider frame of your upper body.
Coach's Tips
Stand shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand Lean your upper body slightly forward.
If you feel strain in your neck or trapezius muscles, try reducing the weight a bit.
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How to Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Starting Position
1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder width.
2. Open your chest and straighten your back.
Proper Form
1. Please slowly lift the dumbbell to shoulder height while keeping your elbows slightly bent.
2. Make sure the palms of your hands are facing down towards the floor.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
4. However, do not lower the dumbbell completely; only lower it until your shoulders are relaxed.
Breathing Technique
Exhale when you raise your arms, and inhale when you lower them.
Muscles Dumbbell Lateral Raise Works
Muscles used
- Side deltsouter shoulders, used to raise the arms out to the sides
- Supraspinatusdeep shoulder muscle on top of the shoulder blade
- Upper trapsmuscles from the back of the neck to the tops of the shoulders
- Front deltsfront of the shoulders
Main muscleRaise the dumbbells out to your sides until they reach about shoulder height. The main muscle driving this movement is your side delts. Your side delts lift your arms outward and help build the width of your shoulders.
Supporting musclesYour supraspinatus helps start the raise, your upper traps assist the natural upward rotation of the shoulder blades, and your front delts may help slightly if your arms move a bit forward.
How it should feelAs the dumbbells rise, you should feel the outside of your shoulders tighten. Near shoulder height, your side delts should feel the strongest.
Signs you're offIf your shoulders shrug first or your body swings, your upper traps and momentum are taking over. If your elbows drift too far forward, the exercise shifts toward your front delts.
Remember thisLead with your elbows, not your hands, and raise only to about shoulder height.
Setting Up for Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Setup orderPrepare matching dumbbells
Pair of dumbbells
Set it like thisPrepare two dumbbells of the same weight.
How to checkMake sure the weight labels match on both dumbbells.
Watch out forAvoid starting with mismatched dumbbells.
Stance for Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Foot widthPlace your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Where your weight goesPress the whole sole of each foot into the floor, and spread your weight evenly across both feet.
Upper body positionStand so the dumbbells start beside your thighs.
Why it mattersIf your foot support is unstable, your body may sway and it becomes harder to lift to the sides.
How to Grip for Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Grip typeHold one dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing each other.
Grip widthHold the center of each dumbbell handle so both ends are left evenly.
How hard to gripWrap your thumbs around the handles, and keep the backs of your hands in line with your forearms.
The Key Point for Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Keep your shoulders from rising toward your ears, and raise your arms to the sides with your elbows slightly bent.
Think of it like thisShoulders low, arms to the sides
Before the fixShrug your shoulders or lift your body while shaking.
After the fixTension builds in the sides of the shoulders, while the tension around the neck decreases.
Common Mistakes in Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Swinging the body
Why it's wrongMomentum reduces side-delt work.
How to fix itBrace your core and keep your torso still.
Shoulders shrug up
Why it's wrongThis shifts tension to your neck and upper traps.
How to fix itKeep your shoulders down and lift only your arms.
Locking the elbows straight
Why it's wrongThis can stress the elbows and shoulders.
How to fix itKeep a small bend in your elbows.
Precautions
1. Please be careful not to lift the dumbbells higher than shoulder height.
2. If your palms are facing behind your body, it may cause shoulder pain, so please keep them facing the floor or in front of your body.
From the Community
It's because the weight is light. Increase the weight, then it won't fly away.
View full discussion โtrue statement control over weight
View full discussion โInstead of keeping your body completely parallel, adjust the direction of your arms so that the angle between them is about 120-150 degrees when viewed from above. This will allow you to perform the movement without shoulder tension.
View full discussion โsounds like you added cardio!! Good job ๐ชlol
View full discussion โawesome. Exercising different muscles. Woo Hoo
View full discussion โ
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