LATERAL RAISE
Dumbbell lateral raise. Primary side deltoid isolation. Develops shoulder width.
MOVEMENT GUIDE
HOW TO PERFORM
- 1
Stand holding dumbbells at your sides, slight bend in the elbows.
- 2
Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until arms are parallel to the floor.
- 3
Lead with the elbows, not the hands.
- 4
Lower under control back to the starting position.
THE STANDARD
Arms reach parallel to the floor at the top. Controlled descent. No swinging or momentum.
COACHING CUES
COMMON MISTAKES
Using momentum — swinging the body to lift the weight.
Raising too high — above parallel reduces deltoid activation.
Shrugging the traps — keep the shoulders down.
SCALING / SUBSTITUTIONS
Reduce the weight.
Cable lateral raise for constant tension.
Single-arm lateral raise for better control.
300WOD APPLICATION
Lateral raises are used as an accessory movement for shoulder development at Foundation and Hoplite Standards.
RELATED EXERCISES
300WOD STANDARDS
EQUIPMENT
MUSCLES
Primary
Secondary