Dumbbell lateral raise

Question 1

How is the flat dumbbell lateral raise used?

Answer 1

• The dumbbell lateral raise is an isolation lift that involves a single joint and stimulates a small amount of muscle mass.

Question 2

What are the muscles involved in the dumbbell lateral raise?

Answer 2

• Medial deltoid

Question 3

What is the technique for the dumbbell lateral raise?

Answer 3

1. Grab dumbbells with a closed, neutral grip
2. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, knees slightly flexed and shoulders back
3. Maintain slightly flexed elbows
4. Raise dumbbells up and out until arms are approximately parallel with the floor
5. Lower dumbbells back to starting position

Question 4

What is a spotting technique for the dumbbell lateral raise?

Answer 4

• None required as you can drop the weights if the load is too heavy

Question 5

What are two variations of the dumbbell lateral raise?

Answer 5

• Cable lateral raise: maintains tension throughout full range of motion, thus maximises fatigue, however likely to lift less weight due to more tension
• Lateral raise hold: promotes an isometric contraction and induces fatigue, however less weight can be lifted due to more time under tension

Question 6

What are two common technique errors for the dumbbell lateral raise?

Answer 6

• Shrugging the shoulders when lifting due to the weight being too heavy. Fix by reducing weight
• Flexing and extending the knees to gain momentum to lift the weight. Fix by reducing weight