If you aim to build wider and rounder shoulders, dumbbell lateral raises are one of the most effective ways to target the side delts, the muscle group responsible for giving your shoulders that broad and capped look.
But despite how common lateral raises are, many people perform them with poor technique. That’s why we’re here to provide a comprehensive guide for this exercise, from proper dumbbell lateral raise form, common mistakes to avoid, the most commonly asked questions, and the best adjustable dumbbell from Tousains to get rounder shoulders right at home.
In this article:
- Proper Dumbbell Lateral Raise Form
- Common Mistakes to Avoid and How to Fix Them
- Are Lateral Raises Push or Pull?
- Will Lateral Raises Give You Big Shoulders?
- How Many Reps Should You Perform? Is 3 Sets of 20 Too Much?
- Should Lateral Raises Be Slow or Fast?
- Lateral Raise Variations for Rounder Shoulders
- Build Strong and Round Shoulders with Tousains
Proper Dumbbell Lateral Raise Form
Here’s the simplest, most effective way to perform a perfect lateral raise. For a detailed video, visit the Tousains' Instagram channel.
- Stand tall with dumbbells at your sides, palms facing your body.
- Lean your torso about 15° forward.
- Bend your arms and bring them forward about 15° so your elbows are slightly in front of your body.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows and make it higher than your wrists, and use a slight internal rotation at the wrists.
- Protract your scapula and push your shoulder blades apart. Keep tension on your teres major.
- Focus on driving with your medial deltoid as you lift.
This is the proper form for lateral raises and should feel like the tension is coming from the outer shoulder, not the traps.
Common Mistakes to Avoid and How to Fix Them
If you feel lateral raises mostly in your traps instead of your side delts, you’re making one of these mistakes.
Using Momentum / Swinging the Body
Many people swing their torso to lift heavier weights, which shifts the work away from the side delts to the hips and lower back.
Fix: Stand tall, brace your core, and use lighter dumbbells so the movement is driven from the shoulder instead of the hips.
Shrugging the Shoulders
If your shoulders rise toward your ears during the raise, the upper traps take over, and the side delts don’t work effectively.
Fix: Think shoulders down and back throughout the rep and pause briefly at the top to feel the lateral deltoid.
Raising Too High (Above Shoulder Level)
Lifting the arms well above shoulder height increases trap involvement and can stress the shoulder joint.
Fix: Stop at roughly shoulder level.
Locking or Over-Straightening the Elbows
Fully locked elbows change leverage and can transfer force away from the delts or strain the joint.
Fix: Keep a soft bend in the elbows (about 10–20°) and maintain that angle throughout the movement.
Using Too Heavy Weights
Heavy loads often force compensations, such as swinging, shrugging, or using momentum, instead of clean muscle tension.
Fix: Drop weight until you can perform controlled 12–20 reps with strict form.
Rushing the Tempo / Fast Reps
Fast and bouncing reps reduce time under tension and risk injury.
Fix: Use a controlled tempo (e.g., 2-3s up, 1s pause, 2-3s down) to maximize muscle engagement and minimize swinging.
Incorrect Wrist Position
Dropping or bending the wrists shifts stress to the wrist joint and can reduce deltoid activation.
Fix: Keep wrists neutral: imagine holding a glass of water steady while you lift.
Are Lateral Raises Push or Pull?
Lateral raises technically fall into a push category because they involve shoulder abduction driven by the deltoids, which primarily work in pushing movements. However, unlike traditional push exercises (like bench press or shoulder press), lateral raises are an isolation movement that specifically targets the side delts rather than a compound pushing pattern.
So while the exercise is biomechanically a push, most people include it on upper-body days or shoulder days, depending on their training split. It’s best paired with other deltoid-focused exercises such as shoulder front raises, overhead presses, or single-arm lateral raises.
Will Lateral Raises Give You Big Shoulders?
Yes. If your goal is wider, rounder shoulders, lateral raises are one of the most effective exercises available. That’s because they target the lateral deltoid head, which directly contributes to your shoulder width.
However, it’s important to understand that lateral raises alone won’t build overall big shoulders. To develop balanced delts, you need a mix of exercises targeting:
- Front delts (e.g., shoulder front raises)
- Side delts (e.g., dumbbell lateral raises)
- Rear delts (e.g., dumbbell rear lateral raises)
Lateral raises excel at building the outer cap of the shoulder. If your goal is shoulder width, side delts matter more than front delts and rear delts.
How Many Reps Should You Perform? Is 3 Sets of 20 Too Much?
For most people, lateral raises respond extremely well to moderate to high reps because the side delts are endurance-oriented and require sustained tension to grow. Here’s the ideal rep guideline:
- 10–20 reps per set for hypertrophy
- 3–5 sets depending on your fitness level
Higher reps (15–20+) are especially effective when using lighter weights with strict form. The key is slow, controlled movement rather than rushing through the reps.
Should Lateral Raises Be Slow or Fast?
When performing any strength training, the key is to maintain slow and controlled movement. This keeps tension on the lateral delts throughout the movement, reduces momentum, and minimizes the risk of injury.
Fast or swinging reps are generally discouraged because they shift the workload to the traps and momentum rather than isolating the side delts.
Lateral Raise Variations for Rounder Shoulders
Mixing up lateral raise variations can help target the delts differently, prevent plateaus, and reduce shoulder strain. Some effective options include:
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises
It eliminates momentum and keeps constant tension.
- Sit on a bench with your back straight, feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inward. (Might as well bring the seat for support, as is recommended by YouTube@tyler-path.
- Slowly lift your arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height, keeping a slight bend in your elbows. Pause for a second at the top.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position.
Single-Arm Lateral Raises
For more balance between sides, try this out.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold one dumbbell in one hand, palm facing inward. The other arm can rest at your side.
- Raise the dumbbell to the side until your arm is parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in the elbow.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.
Overhead Lateral Raises
This lateral raise hits the lateral delts at a different angle.
- Stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, hanging at your sides. Keep a slight bend in your elbows (10-15 degrees) and your palms facing inward.
- Slowly and deliberately raise the dumbbells out to the sides. Focus on lifting your elbows rather than the weights.
- As you move above shoulder height, you may gently rotate your hands so your palms face one another at the top.
- Pause until the dumbbells meet or come close to meet overhead.
- Lower it to the starting position.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises
If you aim for balanced shoulder development, practice the dumbbell rear lateral raise.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge at the hips so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.
- Let your arms hang down with palms facing each other.
- Lift your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Build Strong and Round Shoulders with Tousains
Learning the proper dumbbell lateral raise form and common mistakes to avoid are essential for building strong shoulders. But the choice of the right equipment matters as well. Tousains adjustable dumbbell MX55 provides a resistance ranging from 5lb to 55lb, suitable for both beginners and more advanced users. With a small footprint and various tests, it fits well into your apartment and can last for years.
Explore more details of this machine and build a round shoulder within the comfort of your home!
