Also Known As: Lateral Raises, Side Raises

Targets: Shoulders, especially the lateral and anterior heads of the deltoid

Equipment Needed: Dumbbells

Level: Beginner

Lateral raises are an effective shoulder-strengthening movement designed to isolate the lateral head of the deltoid muscle. Performed regularly, the exercise can help you develop stronger, broader shoulders. All you need is a pair of light dumbbells and enough shoulder flexibility to abduct your arms (lifting the weights out and away from your body) until they form a "T" shape at your shoulders.

Generally speaking, lateral raises should be incorporated into upper-body strength training routines, performed after compound exercises for the shoulder, such as incline dumbbell press, shoulder press, push-ups, or pull-ups. Lateral raises are similar to dumbbell front raises.

Benefits of Lateral Raises

The side lateral raise is a shoulder exercise that specifically targets the deltoid muscles. The deltoid muscle group consists of three separate points (referred to as "heads"), each with its own muscle fibers. The three heads of the deltoid then merge before they insert on the upper arm bone (humerus).

Side lateral raises primarily target the lateral head of the deltoid along with the anterior and posterior heads, enabling you to isolate this muscle group. Specifically, lateral raises are considered one of the best exercises available for working the lateral head of the delts.

Aside from superficial appearance benefits, the exercise also helps strengthen your shoulders independently. This can help correct potential strength discrepancies between your right and left sides.

And because the shoulder joint is the least stable in the body, a well-rounded strength-training routine designed to target all three heads of the deltoid (as well as the stabilizing muscles of the rotator cuff) can help you keep this finicky joint healthy. Strong and flexible shoulders are key to warding off intermittent pain or potential injuries, and lateral raises can function as one piece of the puzzle in a well-rounded shoulder workout.

Step-by-Step Instructions

You don't need much room or equipment to perform lateral raises, just a set of dumbbells and enough space to raise your arms in a "T" formation out to each side.

1. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand. Arms are at your sides, palms facing in. Position your feet roughly hip-distance apart. Check your posture—roll your shoulders back, engage your core, and look straight ahead.
2. Raise your arms simultaneously just a couple of inches out to each side and pause. This momentary pause should help ensure you disengage your trapezius muscle from the movement, targeting the deltoids as intended.
3. Lift the dumbbells up and out to each side, keeping your arms almost completely straight, stopping when your elbows reach shoulder height and your body forms a "T" shape. Breathe in as you lift.
4. Pause and hold for a second at the top of the movement.
5. Lower the weights slowly (take about twice as long to lower the weights as you took to lift them), bringing your arms back to your sides. Exhale as you lower the dumbbells.

Common Mistakes with Lateral Raises

The side lateral raise is an easy exercise to master, but because it involves free weights, there's almost always room for error. Check your form and avoid using dumbbells that are too heavy—this almost always leads to errors in performance.

Selecting Too Much Weight

Lateral raises are an isolation exercise designed to target a specific muscle group. Also, because you're using dumbbells, you target each side of your body independently (unilaterally). These two considerations mean you should select a lighter weight than you might use for exercises like the incline dumbbell press or dumbbell shoulder press.

If you're new to lateral raises, start with light dumbbells, adjusting as needed. It's always better to start with a lighter weight and then go heavier. When you use too much weight, you're more likely to perform the exercise with poor form or unwanted momentum that could open you up to potential injuries.

Using Momentum to Swing the Dumbbells

People who lift dumbbells that are too heavy almost always use momentum to swing the dumbbells upward. This often involves bouncing with the knees and a forward-backward tilt of the torso as they jerk the weights up and out to the sides.

This type of momentum-generating motion is problematic for a few reasons. First, you stop efficiently targeting the muscle group your lateral raises are intended for. Instead of isolating the lateral head of the deltoid, you end up using your legs and your back to propel the weight upward. This will actually prevent you from seeing the type of strength and hypertrophy improvements you're hoping to achieve.

Second, throwing the weights up and down reduces your control of the weight, making it more likely you could injure yourself. Slow down, select a lighter weight, and focus on form to achieve optimum results.

Dropping Your Head Forward

Another common mistake is craning your neck forward or dropping your chin toward your chest as you perform lateral raises. This happens most often when you're using too much weight or nearing the end of a set and your shoulders are fatigued.

Maintain good posture with a neutral neck and spine alignment throughout lateral raises to prevent neck strain and ensure you're targeting the lateral head of the deltoid rather than allowing your back muscles, specifically your trapezius, to take over.

Using Your Trapezius to Power the Movement

Again, almost all the mistakes associated with lateral raises come down to improper weight selection. You won't be able to power the movement with the appropriate muscle group—the deltoids—and will instead recruit other muscles to help power through.

The most common culprit? The trapezius muscle ("traps") of the upper back. You'll notice this if you start the exercise by shrugging your shoulders to pull the dumbbells up and away from your sides. Pay attention as you lift, looking for any shrugging action. When in doubt, switch your weights for a lighter set of dumbbells.

Modifications and Variations

Need a Modification?

The easiest modification for lateral raises is to bend your elbows before performing the exercise. This bent-arm lateral raise modification "shortens the lever," bringing the weight closer to your body throughout the movement. Perform it as you would the regular lateral raises, but keep your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle throughout.

You can also do this exercise with no weight or lighter weight.

Up for a Challenge?

A lateral raise variation for more advanced exercisers is the kettlebell lateral raise. Simply switch out your dumbbells for a pair of kettlebells. The difference between dumbbells and kettlebells is in how their weight is distributed.

Dumbbells have an equal distribution of weight across the entire dumbbell, and you hold the weight in the middle, providing a balance to the weight you're lifting. Kettlebells, on the other hand, have unequal distribution of weight, with the bell portion significantly outweighing the handle. Using kettlebells for lateral raises forces you to engage your shoulders to control the awkward weight distribution as you lift through a full range of motion.

Safety and Precautions

Not letting your arms go above a 90-degree angle is best to prevent injury while performing lateral raises. Selecting the proper weight is also crucial in preventing injuries.

Lateral raises are generally safe, but if at any point you feel a sudden or sharp pain, stop your repetitions. You may want to try it again with the bent-arm modification to see if that alleviates the pain.

Try Lateral Raises

Incorporate lateral raises into one of these popular workouts:

• Shoulder Exercises for Strength and Flexibility
• Total Body Strength Workout for Beginners
• Upper Body Tri-Set Challenge Workout