How to do it
- Stand with a light dumbbell in each hand, elbows very slightly bent.
- Raise the arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
- Lower slowly, resisting the whole way down.
Cues that matter
- Lead with the elbows, not the hands.
- Imagine pouring the dumbbells forward a fraction at the top.
Common mistakes
- Swinging heavy dumbbells with the whole body.
- Raising above shoulder height and handing the work to the traps.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Shoulders
- Side delt
Also works
- Upper traps
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Dumbbell Lateral Raise in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the shoulders with different equipment — for a day the dumbbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.