There’s no question that well-shaped shoulders can transform your physique. Whether you’re chasing that broad ‘V-taper’ look or trying to add pounds to your overhead lifts, lateral raises help build defined shoulders while boosting strength, stability, and joint health.
At first glance, it seems like a simple movement, but it can be surprisingly tricky to master. Maybe you’re struggling to feel lateral raises in the right place, your progress has stalled, or even the lightest cable weight feels challenging.
From technique tips and equipment choices to smart programming, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about lat raises, so you can confidently perform them and see real results. 💪
Just one warning: don’t underestimate this small but mighty exercise! Get the form right, and you’ll quickly discover why lateral raises are a staple in every shoulder routine.
What Are Lateral Raises?
Lateral raises are a shoulder isolation exercise that involves moving the arms laterally away from the midline (abduction) [1]. Unlike compound exercises, isolation movements target a single muscle group, allowing it to be worked close to failure to maximize gains.
What Muscles Do Lateral Raises Work?
Lateral raises target the lateral fibers of the deltoid muscles, which are the primary muscles that make up the shoulder.
These include:
Lateral deltoids (or medial delts)
Anterior deltoids (or front delts)
Posterior deltoids (or rear delts)
Whilst many exercises target the front and rear delts, a lateral raise is one of the few exercises that primarily target the lateral (medial) delts, the part of the shoulder most critical for creating the iconic v-shaped top half [2]. A 2020 study in the Journal of Human Kinetics found lateral raises exercise outperformed bench press and dumbbell fly in activation of the lateral and rear delts, which is why they are one of the best dumbbell shoulder exercises for building shoulder width and shape [3].
In addition to the shoulder muscles used in lateral raises, a host of muscles in the upper back (including the traps, rhomboids, levator scapulae, and serratus anterior) and core also fire up, making them an excellent exercise to add to your back and shoulder workout.
How To Do Lateral Raises
The most common way to perform shoulder raises is by using dumbbells, raising both arms simultaneously or one at a time.
How To Do Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Keep your shoulders pulled back, chest lifted, and core engaged.
Maintain a slight, soft bend in your elbows throughout the movement. This helps reduce strain on your joints and keeps tension on your shoulder muscles.
Raise the dumbbells to your sides until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor, forming a “T” shape. To keep the movement shoulder-dominant, lead the movement with your elbows rather than your wrists.
Pause briefly at the top of the movement and squeeze your shoulder muscles. Keep your wrists aligned with your elbows (don’t let them dip).
Lower the dumbbells back down in a controlled motion to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps, keeping your movements slow and steady throughout.
Lateral Raise Form Tips
If you are looking to perfect your lateral raise form, avoid these common mistakes:
Resist the urge to ‘swing’ your body – Instead, focus on keeping your core engaged and having a strong, upright torso throughout the movement. If you struggle with this, consider seated lateral raises, which will remove any urge to use momentum to assist you.
Don’t rush – Control the movement to increase time under tension and provide additional muscle growth stimulus [4]. Try raising the dumbbells for 3 seconds, pausing for 1 second at the top, and then lowering for 3 seconds.
Never lead the movement with your hands – this removes tension from the deltoids. Instead, lead with the elbows, ensuring they are always slightly higher than your hands during the exercise. Keep your arm as straight as possible, but don't lock your elbow joint.
Don’t lift the dumbbells too high – Lifting your arms higher than your shoulder will take the focus away from your deltoids, engaging the traps instead. Focus on bringing your arms parallel with your shoulders, but no higher.
Go lighter, for longer – Opt for anything close to your shoulder press dumbbell weight for lateral raises, and you’ll likely struggle… The lateral deltoid is a muscle on the smaller side, so lateral raises are best done using a lighter weight, for higher reps. This lets you focus on strict form — lifting with control, keeping tension on the medial delts, and avoiding swinging or jerking the weight up.
The Best Dumbbell Lateral Raise Variations
There are a couple of notable variations of dumbbell lateral raises to add variety to your shoulder workout.
Seated Lateral Raise
Seated lateral raises are a great variation of the standard standing version. Sitting down helps stabilize your body, which minimizes the use of momentum and engages other muscle groups. This forces your lateral delts to do more of the work, making it especially useful for beginners or anyone wanting better isolation.
How To Do Seated Lateral Raises:
Sit tall on a flat or slightly inclined bench (backrest around 70–90 degrees). Hold a light to moderate pair of dumbbells at your sides with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Keep your chest up, shoulders pulled back, and feet flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart.
Slightly bend your elbows and lock them in place — this bend stays the same throughout the lift. Brace your core to keep your torso steady and avoid leaning or swinging.
Raise the dumbbells to your sides in an arc, leading with your elbows rather than your hands. Keep lifting until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor (about shoulder height), forming a “T” shape.
Briefly pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your side delts. Ensure your wrists stay level with or just below your elbows — avoid letting them drift higher.
Lower the dumbbells back down in a controlled motion to the starting position, keeping tension on your shoulders the whole way. Repeat for your chosen number of reps, focusing on form over weight.
There are also some variations of the regular seated lateral raise:
Chest-supported incline (face into bench): You can also perform lateral raises seated facing into an incline bench (set around 45–60 degrees). This chest-supported position further prevents swinging and helps you lean forward enough to emphasize the medial and rear delts more. It’s like combining a lateral raise with a reverse fly for extra shoulder shape.
Side-lying or sideways incline lateral raises: You can also sit sideways on an incline bench and perform a single arm side lateral raise. This increases the range of motion and keeps constant tension at the bottom of the lift.
Cable Lateral Raise
Cable lateral raises are a powerful variation of the traditional dumbbell lateral raise, with some unique advantages.
Unlike dumbbells, where tension fades at the bottom of the lift, cables keep your medial delts working through the entire range of motion. Even when your arm is down by your side, the cable pulls outward, keeping the muscle engaged in its lengthened position. A 2024 study in SportRχiv proved that training a muscle in its lengthened position led to more growth, resulting in roughly 43% more growth [5]. This constant resistance helps build more balanced strength and muscle across both the top and bottom parts of the lift, not just the peak.
Cable lateral raises are usually performed using one arm at a time in a cross-body motion. Ronei S Pinto et al. found that unilateral movements promote greater muscle stimulation, making single-arm cable lateral raises a great progression to enhance muscle growth [6].
You don’t need to go heavy; don’t be surprised if you find yourself using the lightest weight on the cable tower!
How To Do Cable Lateral Raises
Attach a single handle to the lowest point on the cable tower (around ankle level). Choose a light weight to start — remember, the cable keeps constant tension so you won’t need much.
Stand side-on to the machine with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the handle in your outside hand using a neutral grip (palm facing inward). Lightly grip the tower or rest your hand on your hip to help keep your torso steady.
Keep a slight bend in your working arm’s elbow — this bend should stay fixed throughout the movement. Engage your core, lift your chest, and avoid leaning or twisting your body.
Raise your arm upward and outward in a smooth, cross-body arc, leading with your elbow rather than your hand. Lift until your upper arm is roughly parallel to the floor, forming a “T” shape.
Briefly pause at the top, feeling your side delt contract. Then slowly lower your arm back to the starting position, keeping tension on the cable throughout. Repeat for the desired reps, then switch sides.
Tip: If you find these too heavy, even with the lightest weight, you aren’t alone! Try moving the cable slightly higher up the tower, which should make this exercise easier by reducing tension at the bottom of the lift, where your shoulder is weakest, and shifting more of the effort to the stronger mid-range.
Lateral Raises: Your Fast Track To 3D Shoulders That Stand Out
You now know how to master lateral raises to carve out those chiseled, wide shoulders. But remember: Truly impressive shoulders don’t stop at the side delts alone.
To build balanced, head-turning definition, you’ll also need to hit the front (anterior) and rear (posterior) delts, along with your upper back and chest.
Blend powerful compound moves like the overhead press with targeted isolation lifts like frontal raises. Do that, and you won’t just add size and strength — you’ll build a pair of shoulders that look strong from all angles any tank top or halterneck bra.
Unlock the ultimate push-day workouts, targeted upper body sessions, and full-body circuits with the Gymshark Training App. Train alongside your favorite athletes or follow expert-designed programs from our Lifting Club coaches — the choice is yours, but gains (and DOMS) are guaranteed.
FAQs
How Many Lateral Raises Should I Do?
Ultimately, the rep range will depend on your personal goal:
Strength: 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 6 reps
Hypertrophy (muscle growth): 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps
Endurance: 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Tailor your sets and reps to the goal you are trying to achieve. Choose a challenging weight, but one that leaves you feeling like you could do 2-3 more reps at the end of the set.
Where Should I Feel Lateral Raises?
Lat raises should mainly be felt in your lateral / medial (middle) deltoids–these are the rounded, outer part of your shoulder that gives them width.
You might also feel the following muscles engaging to stabilize the movement:
The anterior (front) deltoids, especially if you let the arms drift slightly forward.
The upper traps — if the weight is too heavy or you shrug your shoulders up (ideally, the traps should do very little).
The supraspinatus (part of the rotator cuff) helps start the lift for the first ~10–15°.
If you’re struggling to feel lat raises in your delts (and start feeling them in other places instead), review the form tips above and use a mirror to ensure you perform them correctly.
Should I Go Heavy Or Light On Lateral Raises?
In general, the fewer reps you perform, the heavier the weight should be. However, as a shoulder isolation exercise that utilizes fewer muscles, when doing lateral raises, you’ll likely find you feel the burn pretty quickly! Go light on these, particularly if you’re a beginner!
If you’re a more experienced gym-goer, feel free to go slightly heavier, maintaining proper form throughout your rep ranges. If your form starts to slip during the last few reps (and you notice you start to ‘swing’), consider reducing the weight you are using.
Should Lateral Raises Be Done Using A Bench Or Standing?
Both lateral raise variations are effective, but some people prefer bench lateral raises because they eliminate the possibility of using momentum to ‘swing’ the weights up. This keeps the movement strict (forcing good form), ensuring the work stays entirely through your shoulders.
Standing lateral raises can be more comfortable, allowing for a slight natural lean and body movement. You will probably find you can lift slightly heavier when doing standing shoulder lateral raises, but make sure you don’t swing your body, keeping your core braced and glutes squeezed the whole time to keep you stable.
Is There A Difference Between Cable And Dumbbell Lateral Raises?
The main difference is how tension is applied: Because of gravity, dumbbell lateral raises are hardest at the top of the movement, and easier at the bottom. Cable lateral raises, however, provide constant tension throughout. Even when your arm is down by your side during a cable lat raise, the medial delt is still under tension. This can make cable lat raises better for targeting the muscle through the full range of motion–however, dumbbell lateral raises are still very effective, and can be easier to set up and good for dropsets*.
Are Lateral Raises A Push Or Pull Exercise?
A shoulder lateral raise looks like a ‘pull’ exercise, but it is in fact a ‘push’ movement! This is because your arms move away from your body, driven by the shoulder abductors (mainly the medial deltoids).
This means shoulder raises fit well on a push day or upper body day alongside other pushing movements because they train the same muscles used in pressing exercises, such as shoulder presses.
*A dropset is where you do an exercise until you reach muscle fatigue or near failure, reduce the weight, and continue doing more reps until failure with that weight instead of simply resting. This process can be repeated several times until full muscle fatigue.
References:
Lam JH, Bordoni B. (2023) ‘Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Arm Abductor Muscles’, StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
Coratella, G. et al. (2020) ‘An electromyographic analysis of lateral raise variations and frontal raise in competitive bodybuilders’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17). doi:10.3390/ijerph17176015.
Campos, Y.A.C., Vianna, J.M., Guimarães, M.P., Oliveira, J.L.D., Hernández-Mosqueira, C., da Silva, S.F. and Marchetti, P.H. (2020). Different Shoulder Exercises Affect the Activation of Deltoid Portions in Resistance-Trained Individuals.
Burd, N.A. et al. (2012) ‘Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub‐fractional synthetic responses in men', The Journal of Physiology, 590(2)—doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200.
Larsen, S., Swinton, P., Nordis Østerås Sandberg and Wolf, M. (2024). Resistance Training Beyond Momentary Failure: The Effects of Lengthened Supersets on Muscle Hypertrophy in the Gastrocnemius.
Ronei S Pinto. et al. (2011) ‘Evaluation of bilateral deficit in isometric contractions of the knee extensors’, Revista Brasileira de Cineantropometria e Desempenho Humano, 14(2):202-211. DOI:10.5007/1980-0037.2012v14n2p202.
