Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Side Delts)

Starting position

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip at your sides or slightly in front of your thighs.
3. Lean forward just a little (5–10°), brace your core, and keep your shoulders down and back.
4. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and hold it for the whole set.

Execution

1. Exhale and raise your arms out to the sides up to shoulder height. Lead with your elbows — they stay slightly above your hands.
2. At the top your arms are roughly parallel to the floor, with the pinky side level with or slightly higher than the thumb.
3. Pause briefly without shrugging.
4. Inhale and lower the dumbbells slowly — don't let them drop.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the torso — momentum moves the weight and the side delts barely work.
• Raising above shoulder height — the traps take over and the shoulder joint ends up in an awkward position.
• Shrugging — the upper traps do the work instead of the delts.
• Locked-straight elbows — extra stress on the elbow joint.

Beginner tips

• Start with 2–5 kg: even a light dumbbell at arm's length is a long lever.
• Think of pushing your arms out wide rather than lifting them up.
• Fifteen clean reps beat eight swinging ones.

Alternatives

• Standing Barbell Upright Row to Chest — side delts with heavier weight
• Barbell Upright Row to Chin — compound move for side delts and traps