Dumbbell Raise

What it is

This movement builds upper body strength by elevating weights to shoulder height. It primarily develops your shoulder muscles, with your biceps also contributing as secondary stabilizers. You will use a dumbbell in each hand to perform this exercise.

Technique tips

• Your elbows should drive the motion, staying higher than your forearms.
• Keep your torso stationary throughout the lift to isolate your shoulders.
• Exhale as you lift the dumbbells, then inhale while lowering them slowly.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement to maximize muscle engagement.
• Control the descent of the dumbbells; avoid letting gravity drop them.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.