Exercises · Shoulders · Dumbbell

Dumbbell lateral raise

How to do it

1. Stand with the dumbbells at your sides.
2. Raise them out to shoulder height with a slight bend in your elbows.
3. Lower slowly back to your sides.

Form cues that help

• Lead with your elbows, as if you were pouring water from a jug at the top.
• Stop around shoulder height. Going much higher mostly adds neck and upper-trap work.
• Keep your torso still and your shoulders down, away from your ears.
• Choose a light weight. This is a small muscle and it responds to clean reps.

Common mistakes

• Using momentum. If you swing your body to get the weights up, drop to lighter dumbbells.
• Shrugging. Keep your shoulders relaxed and low so the side delts do the lifting.
• Letting the weights drop. Lower them over a couple of seconds.
• Locking the elbows straight. Keep a slight, steady bend throughout.

Alternatives and variations

• A seated lateral raise removes any body swing.
• Raising one arm at a time lets you focus on each side.
• A cable or a machine version keeps tension on the muscle through the whole rep.
• Pressing movements such as the overhead press and dumbbell shoulder press train your shoulders with heavier loads.
• The face pull works the back of your shoulders.

How to progress it

Add reps with the same dumbbells until you can finish a clean set at the top of your range, then move up by the smallest jump you have. Log your weight and reps every session. See progressive overload.

See it moving in FollowSet

FollowSet has a 3D demo for the dumbbell lateral raise with the working muscles highlighted, and it logs every rep. Download it on the App Store.

General information, not medical advice. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your shoulders, and ask a qualified coach or clinician if you have an injury.