Dumbbell Standing Lateral Raise

The gold standard for building wide, powerful shoulders. It targets the medial deltoids through a broad lateral arc.

Exercise Details

Level: Beginner
Body Area: upper
Type: isolation

Required Equipment

Dumbbells

Target Muscle Groups

Primary

Shoulders

Secondary

Trapezius

Setup

Stand tall holding dumbbells at your sides with a slight elbow bend. Retract your shoulders and brace your core.

Instructions

1. Raise the weights out to your sides until they reach shoulder height.
2. Lead with your elbows.
3. Pause for a second at the top.
4. Lower the weights slowly with control.
5. Keep your torso still.

Common Mistakes

1. Shrugging the shoulders.
2. Swinging the weights.
3. Raising hands higher than elbows.

Alternative Exercises

Upright Row

Beginner / EZ Bar / Shoulders / pull

A compound shoulder exercise targeting the deltoids and upper trapezius. It helps build shoulder width and improves the vertical pulling strength.

Upright Shoulder External Rotation

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Shoulders / isolation

A prehab exercise targeting the rotator cuff. It improves shoulder stability and protects against injuries during heavy pressing movements.

Smith Upright Row

Beginner / Smith Machine / Shoulders / pull

A compound movement for the deltoids and upper traps. The Smith machine ensures a consistent vertical path close to the body for better shoulder isolation.

Smith Shrug

Beginner / Smith Machine / Trapezius / hinge

An isolation movement for the upper trapezius. The Smith machine’s vertical track allows for heavy loading with a strict, stable upward pull.

Smith Back Shrug

Beginner / Smith Machine / Trapezius / hinge

An isolation movement performed on the Smith machine to target the upper trapezius muscles. The fixed path allows for heavy loading with maximum stability and safety.