Should I keep my arms straight or bent during lateral raises?

Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement to reduce stress on the elbow joint. Locking out your arms shifts unnecessary strain away from the deltoids.

How high should I raise the dumbbells?

Raise the dumbbells until your arms are parallel to the floor at shoulder height. Going higher shifts tension to the upper traps and reduces lateral deltoid engagement.

Why do I feel lateral raises in my traps instead of my shoulders?

This usually happens from shrugging during the lift or using too much weight. Focus on depressing your shoulders and leading with your elbows to keep tension on the deltoids.

Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)

The lateral raise is an isolation exercise that targets the deltoids by lifting dumbbells away from the body to shoulder height. It suits lifters aiming to develop shoulder width and improve deltoid definition.

Muscle group: Shoulders
Primary muscles: deltoids
Equipment: Dumbbell

How to do the Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing inward.
Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and brace your core.
Raise both dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until your arms are parallel to the floor.
Pause briefly at the top with arms level and deltoids fully contracted.
Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.

Form tips

Lead with your elbows rather than your hands to keep tension on the deltoids throughout the movement.
Keep your torso still and avoid leaning or using momentum to lift the weight.
Stop at shoulder height rather than raising higher to maintain tension on the lateral deltoid.

Common mistakes

Shrugging the shoulders upward during the lift: this shifts emphasis away from the deltoids to the upper traps.
Using too much weight and swinging the body: this reduces deltoid activation and increases injury risk.
Letting the dumbbells drift forward: this engages the anterior deltoid instead of isolating the lateral head.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy, perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with moderate weight, while strength work typically uses 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 8 reps with heavier loads.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I keep my arms straight or bent during lateral raises?: Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement to reduce stress on the elbow joint. Locking out your arms shifts unnecessary strain away from the deltoids.
How high should I raise the dumbbells?: Raise the dumbbells until your arms are parallel to the floor at shoulder height. Going higher shifts tension to the upper traps and reduces lateral deltoid engagement.
Why do I feel lateral raises in my traps instead of my shoulders?: This usually happens from shrugging during the lift or using too much weight. Focus on depressing your shoulders and leading with your elbows to keep tension on the deltoids.

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