The dumbbell lateral raise is an isolation exercise, meaning it “isolates” a single muscle. These types of exercises are great for finishing off a workout when you really want to get a good emphasis on one particular muscle.
In the case of the lateral raise, the focus muscle group is the deltoids. They are located on the upper arm and wrap around the back of your shoulder.
To do lateral raises with grace and ease, you don’t need a college degree. But you do need at least a half pint of common sense. Bad form with an easy exercise is still bad form, and it can open you up for injury and muscle imbalances.
That’s why we’re going to show you how to do nail this exercise, with the help of CrazyBulk athlete Chris Tripp. All you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells and a little bit of space.
How to do the dumbbell side lateral raise
This exercise is also called the side raise, side lateral raise, seated lateral raise and seated side raise. They’re all the same thing, and you can do these from either a standing or seated position. That cool? Cool. Let’s get started!
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Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Or sit on a bench or chair with your back straight and eyes looking forward.
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Hold the weights at your sides with your palms facing in and arms straight.
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Raise the dumbbells laterally in an arcing motion until your arms are parallel to the floor.
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Hold this position for a full second and slowly lower the weights back down.
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Stop when you reach a point where you still have a slight bit of tension on your muscles and repeat for a set of reps.
Tips for perfecting the lateral raise
- Regardless of whether you’re seated or standing, the lateral raise places a high amount of tension on your shoulder joint. So it’s always better to start off light with this drill! Never let your ego get in the way, and never try to do more than you’re capable of.
- Another thing you should do is maintain a slight bend in your elbows. This actually takes a little pressure off your shoulder joint.
- Never rely on momentum when you’re doing dumbbell lateral raises either. If your head is bobbing up and down or you’re swinging your arms, you’re using crap form. Make your reps slow and deliberate, and move through a full range of motion.
- Here’s another tip from the standing position: alternate moving the weights in front of and behind your body. This will target your muscle fibers differently and help create more definition.
Other exercises like lateral raisesThere are a few other exercises you can utilize to build your delts and give your upper arm more sex appeal. For example, try this drill. Alternate turning your palms forward when you do your lateral raises. Do one with your palms down, do one with your palms forward and continue to alternate back and forth.
Here’s another fun exercise to compliment your training. It’s called a front raise. Simply raise the weights up in front of your body instead of to the sides. You can also do both at the same time!
Raise one bell up to your side and one in front of your body. Then when you lower them down, alternate to the other side. Continue to switch back and forth until you do an even amount of reps on each side. Don’t forget, your shoulders are the most versatile joints in the body, so they’re capable of doing a lot of varying movements.
Taking your workouts to the next levelEven if you hit your PRs, say your nightly prayers and have pristine form in the gym, it still might not be enough to get you the gains you’re dreaming of. It’s times like this that supplements can come to the rescue.
CrazyBulk has a whole host of options to help you bulk, cut, ramp up your strength and reduce your recovery time. Check out our powerhouse products like Clenbutrol, Anvarol and Winsol to really take your workouts to the next level. The best news? You can use these rights alongside your usual protein shakes without missing a beat!
These supplements will ramp up your energy levels, enhance your gains and naturally boost your testosterone levels. The result is that you’ll be able to work your shoulders harder and build more size and strength.
So, are you ready to get your shoulders more ripped than ever? Now you have all the information you need to make this a reality. Go make it happen!
