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Shoulders Exercise · Dumbbell

Dumbbell Lateral Raise exercise animation

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Category
Shoulders
Equipment
Dumbbell
Target
Delts

Lateral raises are how you build shoulder width rather than just shoulder size — they isolate the middle head of the deltoid almost exclusively. It's a light-weight, high-control movement: swinging the dumbbells up with momentum mostly just recruits the traps instead. Most lifters are surprised how little weight it actually takes to feel this one working.

How to Do the Dumbbell Lateral Raise

  1. Begin standing with feet set shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell gripped in each hand with palms turned toward your body.
  2. Brace your core and keep your spine straight.
  3. Lift both arms out to your sides until they reach shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout.
  4. Hold briefly at the top before lowering the weights back down under control.
  5. Repeat for your target rep goal, keeping your core engaged and avoiding any reliance on momentum.

Calorie Burn & Set Tracker

Sets
3
Reps / Set
10
Active Timer
00:00
Estimated Burn
0 kcal

Muscles Worked

The Dumbbell Lateral Raise primarily targets the Delts, with Traps as the primary synergist muscle group.

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Equipment Alternatives

Don't have dumbbell? These target the same delts with different equipment.

Left Hook. Boxing Left Hook. Boxing Body Weight · Delts Band Front Lateral Raise Band Front Lateral Raise Band · Delts Barbell Front Raise Barbell Front Raise Barbell · Delts Battling Ropes Battling Ropes Rope · Delts

FAQ

What muscles does the Dumbbell Lateral Raise work?
The Dumbbell Lateral Raise primarily targets the delts, with the traps as the main supporting muscle group.
What equipment do I need for the Dumbbell Lateral Raise?
The Dumbbell Lateral Raise is done with a dumbbell.
What's a good alternative to the Dumbbell Lateral Raise?
If you don't have access to a dumbbell, the Left Hook. Boxing targets the same delts using body weight instead.