Lateral Raise
Side DeltsDumbbellsBeginner
The shortcut to wider shoulders. Small movement, big aesthetic payoff.
Muscle worked
Side Delts
Equipment
Dumbbells, Cable
Difficulty
Beginner
Time per set
30-40s
How to perform
Step by step, every rep
01
Stand tall
Feet hip width, slight bend in the knees, dumbbells at your sides. Palms facing in.
02
Set the shoulders
Pack shoulders down and back. Slight bend in the elbow that stays bent the whole rep.
03
Raise out to the side
Lead with your elbows (not hands) to bring the dumbbells up and out. Stop when arms are parallel to the floor.
04
Pause and feel it
Tiny pause at the top. Think of pouring water out of a jug with each hand, pinky slightly higher than thumb.
05
Lower slow
3 second negative. Don't drop them. Keep tension on the side delts the whole way down.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✕
Using momentum to swing them up
Traps and hips do the work, side delts barely get touched. Fix: Strict reps. If you can't go strict, go lighter.
✕
Shrugging at the top
Traps take over, which you don't want here. Fix: Keep shoulders packed down. If you feel the traps dominating, drop weight.
✕
Going too high past shoulder level
Stresses the shoulder joint and isn't doing anything extra. Fix: Stop at parallel. That's the top of the rep.
✕
Palms facing up at the top
Rotates emphasis away from the side delt. Fix: Keep palms facing down. Pinky slightly higher than thumb for max side delt work.
Progressions
Scale it up or down
Make it easier
- Seated lateral raise: removes body swing
- Cable lateral raise: constant tension, lighter weight
- Leaning lateral raise (hold pole) to isolate one side
Make it harder
- Partials on top: 5 reps at the top after your set
- Myo reps: 8 reps, rest 10 seconds, 3 reps, repeat
- Tempo: 3 seconds up, 3 seconds down
How to program it
Sets, reps, rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Strength | 3-4 | 8-12 | 60s | Moderate. Strict form beats ego. |
| Build Muscle | 3-5 | 12-20 | 45-60s | Lighter. High reps, slow negatives. |
| Build Endurance | 2-3 | 15-25 | 30-45s | Light. Chase the burn. |
Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?
Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.
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