Dumbbell lateral raise: how to do it
Main muscles: Side delts (lateral deltoid). Helpers: Front delts (anterior deltoid). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Dumbbells
Reps
10–15
Rest
75 s
Muscle group
Shoulders
How to do it
- Torso leaning forward a little, elbows slightly bent and locked in that position.
- Raise the arms to shoulder level, lead with the elbow, little finger slightly above the thumb.
- Lower slowly, do not drop the weight.
Common mistakes
Swinging the weight up, going above shoulder level, pulling with the traps.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Side delts (lateral deltoid)
- Secondary
- Front delts (anterior deltoid)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days3 × 10–15
- Upper/lower, 4 days3 × 10–15
- 5-day split3 × 10–15
Alternatives: similar exercises
Seated dumbbell press
Dumbbells · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Arnold press
Dumbbells · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Overhead press
Barbell · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Upright row
Barbell · Side delts (lateral deltoid), Upper traps
Cable lateral raise
Cable · Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500