Train your shoulder muscles with the dumbbell side lateral raise, commonly called "laterals." This is one of the most important shoulder exercises and should not be missing from your routine. Perform 3 sets of 20 to 30 repetitions. If you don’t have dumbbells, you can also do side laterals with two Olympic plates, a resistance band, bags, small children, or anything similar. Find more shoulder exercises on the main page for weight training and bodybuilding.
Stand upright holding two dumbbells with your palms facing your thighs. You can start with the dumbbells touching each other in front of your hips, but I personally prefer to start with them at your sides because it’s harder to cheat and your shoulder muscles don’t get much rest in the lowest position.
Bend your elbows slightly and keep them fixed throughout the entire exercise. If you don’t have dumbbells, you can also use two Olympic plates, bags, small children, or similar items.
Raise both arms out to the sides without moving your shoulders or upper body. Keep your shoulders pushed down and back throughout the movement. Exhale as you lift and don’t lean backward. Only your arms should move. Also, avoid lifting the weights too high. Stopping at shoulder height is perfect; going above your ears is incorrect and harmful to your shoulder joints—at least in this position.
If you need a rest, the shoulder-height position is the only acceptable place to pause. Many people relax at the bottom, but that’s a mistake!
Lower the weights back to the starting position slowly while inhaling. Don’t let the weights drop or use momentum to start the next repetition. The lowering phase should be slightly slower than the lifting phase.
It doesn’t matter if you do side laterals with a wide stance or with your legs together. Just make sure your stance and the entire movement are symmetrical.
If you don’t know what Olympic plates are: they have large 2-inch holes, allowing you to grip them easily with three or four fingers through the hole, almost like dumbbells.
