Lateral Raise: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The lateral raise isolates your shoulders, specifically the side delts, as you lift a pair of dumbbells out to the sides at arm's length. With no other muscles sharing the load, it is one of the most direct ways to build shoulder width and a rounder look.
- Primary muscle:
- Shoulders
Muscles worked
Your shoulders, specifically the side delts, are the only muscle targeted in the lateral raise. Raising the dumbbells out to the sides puts them under direct, isolated tension with almost no help from other muscle groups.
Because it is an isolation exercise, correct form matters more than heavy weight. Swinging the dumbbells up with momentum shifts the work onto your traps and away from the side delts you're trying to train.
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How to do it
- Pick a couple of dumbbells and stand with a straight torso and the dumbbells by your side at arms length with the palms of the hand facing you. This will be your starting position.
- While maintaining the torso in a stationary position (no swinging), lift the dumbbells to your side with a slight bend on the elbow and the hands slightly tilted forward as if pouring water in a glass. Continue to go up until you arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this movement and pause for a second at the top.
- Lower the dumbbells back down slowly to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Form tips
- Stand tall with a slight bend in your elbows and the dumbbells at your sides.
- Raise the dumbbells out to shoulder height, leading with your elbows rather than your hands.
- Stop at shoulder height. Going higher shifts the work onto your traps.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly rather than dropping them.
- Use lighter weight than you'd expect. Strict form matters more than load on this exercise.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Dumbbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Isolation |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lateral raise good for?
The lateral raise isolates your side delts, the part of your shoulder that gives it width and roundness. Pressing exercises train your shoulders too, but the lateral raise is one of the few moves that isolates this specific area directly.
How heavy should lateral raises be?
Lighter than you might think. Since it's an isolation exercise done through a long lever arm, most lifters get better results from a muscular-endurance rep range, around 12 or more reps at 67% of 1RM or less, with strict form, rather than chasing heavy weight.
More shoulders exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
