Shoulders
Lateral raise
The lateral raise lifts dumbbells out to the sides, isolating the side of the shoulder that gives width.
- Primary
- Shoulders
- Secondary
- None
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Type
- isolation
Why it earns a spot
Pressing mostly trains the front of the shoulder, so a dedicated side-delt movement fills in what presses leave behind.
How to do it
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lean forward a few degrees and raise your arms out to the sides, leading with your elbows.
- Stop when your arms reach about shoulder height.
- Lower over about two seconds without letting the dumbbells touch your thighs.
- Keep the movement smooth and avoid shrugging.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the dumbbells up with momentum; drop the weight and keep it strict.
- Shrugging your traps so the shoulders do not do the work; keep your shoulders down.
- Raising above shoulder height, where the traps take over.
How to program it
| Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 10-20 | 60 sec |
Small dumbbells matter here. Add reps up to 20, then move up by 1-2 kg (2.5-5 lb) or use cables for finer steps.
Swaps and alternatives
Fortis · free while in beta
Log every lateral raise set.
Fortis keeps your sets, reps and weights in one place and shows the trend over time, so progress is a number instead of a feeling.
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