- Target Body Parts: Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: Bench, Dumbbells
Description
Step 1: Pick up one dumbbell off the floor or off the rack using a neutral grip (palms facing in) and lay on your opposite site on a bench. When grasping the dumbbell, wrap your thumbs around it tightly. The dumbbell should be directly in front of you (with your palms still facing in).
Step 2: Keeping your arms slightly bent and your lower back tight and stationary, raise your arm up until it is nearly in a straight line, keeping the focus on your side deltoid. NOTE: You can twist your wrists very slightly down at the top of the movement to enable a greater side deltoid contraction.
Step 3: Lower the weight in a controlled manner to starting position. Maintain a slight bend in the elbows (and in the knees) throughout the movement.
Step 4: Take a breath between reps, exhaling only when reps are completed. Repeat until the desired reps are reached and then switch arms, using the same approach with the other arm and laying on the opposite side. When finished, set the weights on the floor. Heavier dumbbells can be used on each additional set.
Benefits:
Lateral Raises are an excellent way to build strength and muscle in your shoulders and, more specifically, your side deltoids, and 1-arm raises add a greater emphasis to each.
Adding in another factor – lying on a bench – provides an even greater challenge to the movement.
Concentrate on letting your side deltoids do the work. Imagine a string on a ceiling pulling your slightly bent arms up. You shouldn’t be swinging the weight up. Proper form is necessary in order for your side deltoids to get the maximum benefit.
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