Lateral Raise

How to perform the Lateral Raise

1. Stand tall with the dumbbells at your sides, a slight bend in the elbow that stays fixed for the whole rep, and the shoulders pulled down away from the ears.
2. Lead with the elbows — raise the arms out to the sides as if pouring water out of a glass at the top.
3. Stop when the upper arms are roughly at shoulder height; chasing height past that point recruits the upper traps instead of the side delts.
4. Lower under control on a 2–3 second eccentric; do not let the load drop back to the sides on a free fall.
5. Avoid using the torso to throw the weight up — if you have to rock to start the rep, the weight is too heavy.

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

Common mistakes

• •Using the torso to throw the load up instead of raising the arms with the side delts.
• •Raising the arms above shoulder height and shrugging the upper traps to finish the rep.
• •Letting the wrist tilt up so the front of the shoulder takes over (a common cue when the load is too heavy).
• •Dropping the load back to the sides on a free fall instead of controlling the eccentric.

Variations & alternatives

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