How to do the Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Step by step
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows and your torso still.
- Raise the dumbbells out to your sides up to about shoulder height.
- Lead with your elbows and keep your wrists no higher than your elbows.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly back to your sides.
The thing people get wrong
Raise only to shoulder height and avoid swinging or shrugging - keep the motion smooth and let your side shoulders do the work.
Coaching cue
Think about pushing the dumbbells out and away from you rather than lifting them straight up.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Use very light weights, or raise one arm at a time until the motion feels smooth.
- Harder: Take three seconds to lower the dumbbells on every rep.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Side delts
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.