Shoulders · Dumbbell · Isolation · Beginner
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
You raise a pair of dumbbells out to your sides until your upper arms are about level with the floor, then lower them slowly. It isolates the side delts, which pressing works only partly, and it is done light and strict.
- Main muscles
- Shoulders, Side Delts
- Also working
- Traps
How to do it
- Stand or sit holding a light dumbbell in each hand at your sides, elbows slightly bent, torso leaning forward a few degrees.
- Keep your shoulders down and raise the dumbbells out to the sides, leading with the elbows.
- Stop when your upper arms are about parallel to the floor, with elbows level with or a little higher than your hands.
- Hold briefly without shrugging.
- Lower slowly all the way back to your sides before starting the next rep.
Cues
Short phrases to think during a set.
- “Elbows lead, hands follow”
- “Push the dumbbells out, not up”
- “Shoulders stay down”
- “Slow on the way down”
Common mistakes
- Using dumbbells heavy enough that you need to swing your body to start the rep. Drop the weight until your torso can stay still.
- Shrugging as the arms rise, which shifts the work to the traps. Keep the shoulders down and stop at shoulder height.
- Hands rising above the elbows, which turns the rep into something closer to a front raise. Keep the elbows at or above hand height.
- Letting the dumbbells drop and bounce off your sides. Lower all the way under control.
The short version
Pressing works the front delts much more than the side delts, so lifters who want wider-looking shoulders usually add lateral raises. The side delts are small, so the dumbbells are light, and much of the advice is about resisting the urge to go heavier. Cable and machine versions keep more tension at the bottom of the rep, and some lifters finish a set with partial reps from the bottom once full reps fail. Whether those extras add much beyond enough hard, strict sets is still argued over.
Why people do it
- Works the side delts directly, which pressing does not do much
- Needs only a pair of light dumbbells
- Low strain on the joints when done light, so it can be trained several times a week
Drawbacks
- Gym dumbbells often go up in 2 kg or 5 lb steps, a large jump for such a small muscle
- Little tension at the bottom of the rep, where the dumbbells hang straight down
- Raising too high or with the thumbs turned down can pinch the front of the shoulder
- Progress is slow to see, both in the mirror and on the dumbbell rack
- Many lifters feel it mostly in the traps at first and need several sessions before the side delts do the work
Questions
Why do I feel lateral raises in my traps?+
Usually because you are shrugging as you lift or going above shoulder height. Keep the shoulders down, stop at shoulder height and use a lighter dumbbell.
How heavy should lateral raises be?+
Light enough that you can raise the weight without swinging your body. That is far lighter than most people expect.
How high should I raise the dumbbells?+
To about shoulder height, upper arms parallel to the floor. Higher brings in the traps, and for some people it pinches the front of the shoulder.
Should I tilt my pinkies up like pouring a pitcher?+
It is a common cue, but turning the thumbs down hard is linked to shoulder pinching, so coaches who use it keep the tilt small. Many now just keep the hands neutral and lead with the elbows.
Swaps on other equipment
Each has the shoulders as its main muscle and is also a push, on a different piece of equipment.
Variations
Cable Lateral Raise · Machine Lateral Raise · Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Other shoulder exercises
- Double Kettlebell Push Press · Kettlebell
- Double Kettlebell Snatch · Kettlebell
- Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise · Dumbbell
- Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise · Dumbbell
- Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise · Dumbbell
- Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press · Dumbbell
Written for this site from the sources listed above. Last reviewed October 20, 2026. How this site is put together · Report a mistake