The side lateral raise is an effective shoulder-strengthening movement designed to isolate the lateral head of the deltoid muscle. All you need is a pair of light dumbbells and enough shoulder flexibility to abduct your arms (lifting the weights out and away from your body) until your arms are parallel to the ground. The shoulder lateral raise primarily targets the lateral head of the deltoid (although it also engages the anterior and posterior heads to a lesser extent), enabling you to isolate this muscle groups. Follow these steps:
- Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs with elbows slightly bent.
- Bend over slightly with hips and knees bent slightly.
- Raise upper arms to sides until elbows are shoulder height.
- Maintain elbows’ height above or equal to wrists. Lower and repeat.
