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shoulders

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, you raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder height. The main exercise for wider-looking shoulders.

beginnerdumbbells

Dumbbell Lateral Raise, start position
START
Dumbbell Lateral Raise, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START1
  1. Pick light dumbbells; most people use far less than they expect.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Bend your elbows slightly and lean forward a tiny bit.

Check: You are standing tall, dumbbells at your sides, palms facing your legs.

Raise

  1. Raise both arms out to the sides until your hands are level with your shoulders. Lead with your elbows and keep a slight bend in them.
  2. Pause for a second at the top with your palms facing the floor.

Check: Your arms are straight out to the sides at shoulder height, like a T, with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing down.

Lower slowly

  1. Lower the weight slowly back to the start.

Check: The weight is back at the start and your trunk has not moved.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set.

Breathe out as you raise in about 1 second; pause; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: muscles worked, front view
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: muscles worked, back view

deltstraps

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES3
  • Swinging the weight up with the body. Momentum, not the shoulder, lifts the weight. Fix: Stand still; if you have to rock, the weight is too heavy.
  • Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears. Fix: Keep your shoulders down; lift with the arm, not the neck.
  • Raising the hands above the shoulders. Fix: Stop when your hands are level with your shoulders.
SAFETY2
  • Use light weights; the shoulder muscles are small.
  • Stop at shoulder height; going higher pinches the shoulder.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • dumbbells Light.
RELATED EXERCISES

harder: cable one arm lateral raise

variants: bent over lateral raise

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