Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise

How to perform the Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise

1. Set an incline bench to roughly 45 to 60 degrees and lie on your side against it with one dumbbell in the top hand.
2. Let the working arm hang down across the front of the body with a soft elbow at the start.
3. Lying on your side changes the resistance curve so the side delt is loaded hardest near the bottom of the lift, not the top.
4. Raise the dumbbell out and up away from the bench, leading with the elbow, until the arm reaches roughly vertical.
5. This variant fills in the stretched, bottom portion of the arc that a standing dumbbell raise leaves nearly unloaded.
6. Lower under control back across the body, complete the reps, then turn over to work the other side.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Setting the bench too upright so the loaded bottom stretch is lost.
• •Swinging the dumbbell off the bench with body momentum rather than the side delt.
• •Shrugging the trap up to finish the rep at the top.
• •Cutting the range short and never reaching the fully raised position.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.