Dumbbell Raise

Description

How to Do Dumbbell Raise

1. 1
   Setup

   Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the exercise.

2. 2
   Setup

   Engage your core, keep your back straight, and slightly lean forward at the hips to prepare for the lift.

3. 3

   Exhale as you slowly raise the dumbbells out to your sides, leading with your elbows, until your arms are parallel to the floor and the dumbbells are at shoulder height.

4. 4

   Pause briefly at the top, focusing on the contraction in your lateral deltoids.

5. 5

   Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control, resisting gravity throughout the descent.

Tips

• Focus on leading with your elbows, imagining you are pouring water out of a pitcher, to better isolate and engage the lateral deltoids.
• Keep the movement controlled throughout the entire range of motion, avoiding momentum or swinging the weights to perform the lift.
• Slightly rotate your wrists so your pinky fingers are marginally higher than your thumbs at the top of the movement to maximize lateral deltoid activation.
• Maintain a stable torso and avoid shrugging your shoulders towards your ears; the movement should originate solely from the shoulder joint.

Common Mistakes

• ×Using too much momentum: Avoid swinging the dumbbells up by lowering the weight and focusing on a slow, controlled lift and descent.
• ×Shrugging shoulders: Prevent your traps from taking over by keeping your shoulders down and back, focusing the movement solely in the lateral deltoids.
• ×Lifting too high: Do not raise the dumbbells significantly above shoulder height, as this reduces tension on the lateral deltoid and can strain the shoulder joint; stop when arms are parallel to the floor.