Seated Side Lateral Raise
Trains the Lateral Deltoid.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and either a flat bench or an adjustable bench
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Sit on the end of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Sit tall with your feet flat and your arms hanging straight down.
- Set a small bend at the elbow and hold it.
- Raise both arms out to the sides until the hands are level with the shoulders.
- Stop level rather than continuing upward.
- Lower under control all the way back to your sides.
Common mistakes
- Shrugging as the arms rise. Once the shoulders lift toward the ears the upper trapezius has taken over, and seated removes the leg drive but not the shrug.
- Rocking the torso to start the movement. Sitting is chosen precisely to stop that; if the body still has to rock, the dumbbells are too heavy.
- Going above shoulder height. Past level the shoulder blade must rotate for the arm to keep travelling, and it has stopped being a lateral raise.
- Leading with the hands. The upper arm is what rises; turning the wrists or leading with the little fingers changes very little and often just puts the wrist in an odd position.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Lateral DeltoidShoulders