Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)

How to do the lateral raise

1. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Put a slight bend in your elbows and keep it for the whole set.
2. Set your feet about hip-width apart and brace your abs so that your torso stays still.
3. Take a breath before you lift.Breathe
4. Raise your arms out to the sides, leading with your elbows, not your hands.
5. Stop when your elbows reach shoulder height. Your arms make a "T" shape with your body at the top.
6. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to your sides. Do not let them drop.

Breathing. Breathe in at the bottom and breathe out as you raise the dumbbells. Breathe in again on the slow way down. Do not hold your breath for the whole set: the load is light and you do not need a hard brace.

Tips

• Pick a much lighter dumbbell than you use for presses. The lever arm is long, so small weights feel heavy.
• A slight forward lean of your torso can help you feel the side of the shoulder work.
• If you train at home with no dumbbells, filled water bottles work for the first weeks.

Muscles worked

The lateral raise works mainly the shoulders.

Sets, reps and rest

These numbers come from the same rules as the Oh My Coach app. Use a load that leaves 1 to 3 reps in reserve. When you reach the top of the range in every set, add a little load or move to the harder version (double progression). What is double progression?

Common mistakes

• Swinging the weights up

  Why it matters: Momentum from your hips and back lifts the dumbbells, so the deltoids work through only part of the range.

  Fix: Stand still and use a lighter pair. If you need to swing, the weight is too heavy for this exercise.

• Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears

  Why it matters: The upper traps take over the lift and the side deltoid does less of the work.

  Fix: Keep your shoulders down and think of pushing the dumbbells out to the walls, not up to the ceiling.

• Leading with the hands

  Why it matters: When the hands rise above the elbows, the movement turns into a front raise and moves load to the front of the shoulder.

  Fix: Lead with your elbows. Keep your hands level with or just below them at the top.

• Lifting far above shoulder height

  Why it matters: Above shoulder height the traps do more of the work, and some people feel a pinch at the top of the shoulder.

  Fix: Stop at shoulder height. A full range for this exercise ends there.

Make it easier or harder

This exercise gets harder with load. When every set reaches the top of the rep range with good form, add the smallest weight step you have. To make it easier, use less load or a shorter range of motion while you learn the movement.

Versions of this exercise

Cable lateral raise

shoulders · cable machine · Beginner

Alternatives

Same main muscle and the same movement pattern first, from the same rules as the app's swap list.

Cable lateral raise

shoulders · cable machine · Beginner

Same movement pattern

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

shoulders, triceps · dumbbells · Beginner

Same main muscle

Machine shoulder press

shoulders, triceps · shoulder press machine · Beginner

Same main muscle

Full guide coming soon

Kettlebell press

shoulders, triceps · kettlebell · Beginner

Same main muscle

Full guide coming soon

Wall handstand push-up

shoulders, triceps · No equipment · Advanced

Same main muscle

Full guide coming soon

Elevated pike push-up

shoulders, triceps · No equipment · Intermediate

Same main muscle

Full guide coming soon

What you need

• Dumbbells

Take care if

This exercise loads the shoulder. If your shoulder hurts, stop. For pain that does not go away, see a doctor or a physiotherapist.

If you feel a pinch or pain in the shoulder, stop. Try a lower range, a lighter weight, or raise the arms slightly forward of your body.