Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Seated, which rules out the little hip bounce that creeps into the standing version.

Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise, illustrated

How to do it

Setup

Seated tall on a bench, bells at the sides, elbows slightly bent.

Steps

  1. Raise the arms out to shoulder height.
  2. Lead with the elbows.
  3. Lower slower than the lift.

Common mistakes

Rocking the torso: sitting exists to remove it; stay tall. Shrugging: blades down. Hands above the elbows: the delts unload.

Breathing

Exhale opening the arms, inhale lowering.