Exercise Library
Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise
The dumbbell one arm lateral raise isolates each side deltoid individually, letting you focus fully on one shoulder at a time without a second dumbbell to balance. Training one arm at a time also makes it easier to notice and fix strength imbalances between your left and right shoulders.
Primary muscle
Lateral deltoids
Secondary muscles
trapezius, supraspinatus
Equipment
—
Category
Shoulders
How to Do the Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise
- Stand holding a single dumbbell at your side, feet shoulder width apart.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbow and brace your core for stability.
- You may hold onto a rack or bench with your free hand for support if needed.
- Raise the dumbbell out to the side, leading with your elbow rather than your hand.
- Lift until your arm is roughly parallel to the floor, keeping your shoulder down away from your ear.
- Pause briefly at the top without shrugging upward.
- Lower the dumbbell back down slowly to your side under control.
- Perform 10 to 15 reps, then switch arms and repeat.
Common Mistakes
- Using momentum to swing the weight up: Jerking the torso to help lift the dumbbell shifts work away from the deltoid. Keep your body still and let the shoulder do the lifting.
- Raising the arm above shoulder height: Lifting too high past parallel brings the traps into play instead of the target muscle. Stop the raise once your arm reaches shoulder level.
- Bending the elbow too much: Turning the raise into more of a bent-arm row reduces the isolation on the side delt. Keep a slight, consistent elbow bend throughout.
- Choosing too heavy a dumbbell: Excess weight makes it nearly impossible to avoid swinging and shrugging. Drop the load until you can raise with a smooth, controlled path.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your dumbbell one arm lateral raise sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.