Lateral Raise

Starting Position

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight at your sides and hands facing inwards.

The Movement

• Keeping your elbows very slightly bent (at 10°), raise the dumbbells out to the sides.
• Raise them until your elbows and hands are level with your shoulders - i.e. parallel to the floor. Your palms should face the par. Hold momentarily.
• Slowly return to the starting position, istingthe weight on the way back down.

Tips

• Your litt1e finger should be higher than your thumb at the top of the movement, as if you were pouring water from a jug.
• Do not swing the dumbbells out or lean back as you raise them. Keep your body very still.
• Lead with your elbows rather than your hands.

Variations

Single arm
Lateral raises can be performed using one arm at a time. Hold on to an upright support with the other hand to help keep you steady. This allows you to concentrate fully on the move­ment and helps to prevent you swinging the dumbbells upwards.

Cable lateral raise
The movement can be performed using a low pulley machine. You will need to use a lighter weight but this keeps more continuous tension on the deltoids.

Seated lateral raise
You can perform the movement sitting on the end of a bench. This reduces the tendency to generate momentum by swinging your body and is, therefore, a stricter movement. You may need to use lighter dumbbells to complete the exercise in good form.

Other Exercises for your Shoulder Workouts.

• Dumbbell Press
• Lateral Raise
• Upright Row
• Bent-over Lateral Raise