Lateral Raise

About the movement

The exercise that widens your shoulders. Lateral raises isolate the side delts, the muscle that makes your upper body look broad.

How to do it

1. 1

   Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.

2. 2

   Raise the dumbbells out to your sides with a slight bend in your elbows.

3. 3

   Lift until your arms are parallel to the floor, leading with your elbows.

4. 4

   Lower the dumbbells under control back to your sides.

Form tips

• •Use light weight and strict form; heavy swings recruit your traps, not your delts.
• •Stop at shoulder height; going higher shifts the work to your traps.
• •Lead with your elbows, not your hands.