Dumbbell Lateral Raise
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Cable
- Band
- Barbell
- Machine
HOW TO PERFORM
- Stand with a slight forward lean and the load hanging at your sides, elbows softly bent.
- Raise the arms out to the sides to about shoulder height, leading with the elbows rather than the hands.
- Stop level with the shoulders and pause briefly.
- Lower slowly under control rather than letting the arms drop.
FORM TIPS
- Go far lighter than feels sensible. The side delt is a small muscle with terrible leverage here, and anything you have to swing up is being lifted by the traps.
- Leading with the elbows and keeping the little finger slightly high is what keeps the work on the side delt instead of the front.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Shoulders
Secondary
- Traps
In the app
This guide covers these exercises in the Ægir Iron library:
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Cable Lateral Raise
- Band-Only Lateral Raise
- Band-Only Single Arm Lateral Raise
- EZ Bar Lateral Raise
- Lateral Raise Machine
- Single Arm Lateral Raise
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.