Lateral Raise
Target Muscles Medial deltoids. |
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.