Push · Dumbbells or cable
Lateral raise: form, load and sets
Shoulder width comes almost entirely from the side delt, and the side delt only responds when you stop swinging and start controlling.
Muscles worked: Lateral deltoid, Supraspinatus
How to do it
- Stand with a slight forward lean, dumbbells at your sides, elbows softly bent.
- Raise the arms out to the sides, leading with the elbows, not the hands.
- Stop at shoulder height — going higher hands the work to the traps.
- Pause for a beat, then lower over three seconds against the resistance.
- Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears for every rep.
Mistakes to avoid
- Going too heavy and using hip drive to launch the weight.
- Shrugging at the top so the traps take over.
- Dropping the weights back down with no control, which skips half the work.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Prescription |
|---|---|
| Size | 3–4 sets of 12–20 reps, 45–60s rest |
| Finisher | 2 sets of 20 light reps with a one-second hold at the top |
| Frequency | Two to three sessions a week — the side delt recovers fast |
Swaps and alternatives
- Cable lateral raise — Tension at the bottom where dumbbells have none.
- Machine lateral raise — Zero momentum, easy to push near failure.
- Upright row to chest height — Adds trap and delt work together.
Common questions
Keep training
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