Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The best exercise for wider-looking shoulders — and the one most people do too heavy.
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Muscles worked
How to do the dumbbell lateral raise
- 1Stand holding light dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in.
- 2With a slight bend in the elbows, raise the arms out to the sides.
- 3Stop when your hands reach shoulder height.
- 4Lower slowly over two to three seconds.
When to pick it: Pick it for side-delt growth; light weights and 12–20 reps work better than heavy ones.
Form cues
- Push the dumbbells out, not up
- Lead with the elbows
- Shoulders stay down
Common mistakes
- Swinging heavy weights with the hips
- Shrugging the traps up
- Raising above shoulder height
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1–2 min |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 30–60 s |
Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time.
Equipment taken? Swap it for
These train the same muscles with different equipment.
General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain, and check with a clinician before starting if you have an injury or a health condition.