Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Stand tall, dumbbells at sides, palms in. Raise arms out to shoulder height with a slight elbow bend, leading with elbows; keep shoulders down, core braced, wrists neutral, lower slowly. Builds strong, wider side delts.
Muscles worked
Primary
Equipment

How to do it
- Stand or sit tall with a light load and soft elbows.
- Brace the core and set the shoulders down away from your ears.
- Raise the arms out to the sides.
- Stop before you need to lean or shrug.
- Pause briefly at the top.
- Lower under control to the start position.
Watch for
- Using body swing to start the rep.
- Shrugging before the delts do the work.
- Going heavier than the shoulder can control.
Breathing
Exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower.
Tip
Keep the load light enough that the last rep follows the same path as the first.
Track this exercise in the SmartReps app
Log sets, reps and weight, and let the AI coach plan your progression — free on iOS and Android.
Log this exercise in SmartReps

