Side Lateral Raise

What it is

This isolation exercise primarily targets your lateral deltoid muscles, building width and definition in your shoulders. You stand holding a dumbbell in each hand and lift your arms out to the sides. The movement effectively strengthens the side head of your shoulders with controlled resistance.

Technique tips

• Avoid swinging your torso; keep the movement strict and controlled.
• Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the entire range of motion.
• Tilt your hands forward at the top, like pouring water from a pitcher.
• Lift the dumbbells until your arms are parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you lift the weight, and inhale as you slowly lower it.
• Focus on a smooth, controlled descent to maximize time under tension.

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.