SEQD EXERCISE GUIDE
How to do the
Dumbbell Lateral Raise.
The dumbbell lateral raise is an isolation exercise for the side delts, used to train shoulder abduction with relatively light loads.
MUSCLESSide delts
EQUIPMENTDumbbells
TRACKSets · reps · load
LEARN → LOG → PROGRESS
FORMRepeatable
LOGRecord it
NEXT TIMECompare it
HOW TO
Dumbbell Lateral Raise technique.
Use a load you can control and a range you can repeat.
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand and keep a slight bend in your elbows.
- Begin with the dumbbells near your sides and keep your torso quiet.
- Raise your arms out to the sides by leading with the elbows.
- Stop around shoulder height or at the highest comfortable point before shrugging takes over.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the start.
MUSCLES WORKED
Side delts.
The upper traps and other shoulder muscles assist, but the side delts are the main target.
COMMON MISTAKES
Keep the rep consistent.
- Using a big hip swing to start every rep
- Shrugging hard at the top
- Going so heavy that the elbows stay low while the hands rise
- Dropping the weights quickly through the lowering phase
PROGRESSION
Make the next session comparable.
Keep the setup, torso position and range similar, log your working sets, reps and load, then use the previous session as your reference.
See SEQD progressive overload tracking →ALTERNATIVES
Other options.
- Cable Lateral Raise
- Machine Lateral Raise
- Lean-Away Cable Lateral Raise
Don’t just learn it. Track it.
SEQD keeps your previous performance ready for the next workout.
General exercise education, not individual medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain.