Dumbbell Lateral Raise

How to Perform the Dumbbell Lateral Raise

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing inward.
2. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and keep this angle locked throughout the movement.
3. Brace your core and raise both dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc.
4. Lift until your arms are parallel to the floor with your elbows and wrists at the same height as your shoulders.
5. Pause briefly at the top and focus on squeezing the medial deltoids.
6. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position under control, resisting gravity on the way down.
7. Repeat without using momentum or swinging the torso.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Muscles Worked

Benefits

• ✓Directly targets the medial deltoid for wider-looking shoulders
• ✓Requires minimal equipment and can be performed almost anywhere
• ✓Improves shoulder stability and joint health when performed correctly
• ✓Complements pressing movements by targeting a head of the deltoid that presses miss

Pro Tips

• ●Use lighter weight and higher reps — the medial deltoid responds well to volume.
• ●Perform a brief pause at the top of each rep to maximise time under tension.
• ●Try cable lateral raises for constant tension throughout the full range of motion.

Variations

Recommended Sets & Reps

Training Guides

Articles featuring the dumbbell lateral raise in workout programs and training advice.