Lateral Raise Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your lateral raise reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with a light dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in, with a slight bend in your elbows.
2. Lean forward very slightly from the hips and keep your shoulders down.
3. Raise the dumbbells out to the sides, leading with your elbows, until your arms are about parallel to the floor.
4. Keep your hands roughly level with or slightly below your elbows at the top.
5. Lower slowly, over two to three seconds, to just in front of your thighs.

Coaching cues

Lead with the elbows

Thinking elbows, not hands, keeps the work on the side of the shoulder.

Push out, not up

Imagine pushing the dumbbells away to the walls; it stops you shrugging.

Shoulder height is enough

Above that, the traps take over.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Using momentum

Swinging the body moves the dumbbells while the shoulders do little. Fix: Use lighter dumbbells and stand still; try a seated version if you cannot.

Shrugging

Lifting the shoulders lets the upper traps do the work. Fix: Keep your shoulders down and neck long; push the weights out, not up.

Raising too high

Going well above shoulder height shifts work to the traps. Fix: Stop around shoulder height.

Thumbs tipped down

Pouring the jug can pinch the shoulder for some people. Fix: Keep the palms down or thumbs slightly up.

Dropping the weight

A fast lowering misses half the work. Fix: Lower slowly and do not let the dumbbells rest at your sides between reps.

Muscles worked

Main: Shoulders. Also: Traps.

Who should take care

Use light weights and stop if you feel a pinch in the shoulder. Pain that persists is a reason to see a physiotherapist.

Variations

• Seated Side Lateral Raise: Stricter: sitting removes body swing.
• Cable Seated Lateral Raise: Alternative: cables keep tension at the bottom.
• Lateral Raise - With Bands: Home option: a resistance band underfoot.
• One-Arm Incline Lateral Raise: Harder: lying on an incline adds range at the bottom.

Filming your lateral raise

Film from the front at shoulder height, two to three metres away, so both arms and your shoulder height are visible. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

How heavy should lateral raises be?

Light. Most people do better with weights they can lift for 12 to 20 strict reps.

Why do I feel lateral raises in my traps?

You are probably shrugging or lifting too high. Keep the shoulders down and stop at shoulder height.

Should my arms be straight?

Keep a slight bend in the elbows. Locking them adds strain without benefit.

See the Side Lateral Raise exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Overhead Press form
• Face Pull form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.