Shoulders
Seated Lateral Raise
The Seated Lateral Raise is a strength exercise with dumbbells for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: side delts 62%, front delts 12% and rear delts 10%.
Also known as: seated dumbbell lateral raise
How to do it
- Sit at the end of a bench or on an upright bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Plant the feet flat, sit tall and let the dumbbells hang beside the bench.
- Raise both arms out to the sides with a slight bend in the elbows.
- Stop when the upper arms are level with the floor.
- Lower slowly until the dumbbells hang beside the bench again.
Tips
- Keep the chest up and the torso still: sitting removes the leg drive.
- Keep the little finger side level with the thumb at the top.
- Lift with the elbows and keep the hands slightly below them.
Common mistakes
- Rocking the torso to swing the weights up.
- Raising the hands above the elbows.
- Shrugging the shoulders at the top.
Muscles worked by the Seated Lateral Raise
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Raising the arm out to the side is shoulder abduction, led by the lateral delt; front and rear heads assist, the upper traps help rotate the shoulder blade near the top, and the supraspinatus starts the movement from deep.
Seated Lateral Raise alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Make it harder
- Cable Lateral Raise (No Attachment)
- Double Cable Lateral Raise
- Seated Cable Lateral Raise
- Behind the Back Cable Lateral Raise
Similar exercises
- Kettlebell Lateral Raise
- Incline Side Lying Lateral Raise
- Landmine Lateral Raise
- Lean In Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Seated Lateral Raise work?
Mainly the side delts. The front delts and rear delts assist.
Is the Seated Lateral Raise good for beginners?
Yes. The Seated Lateral Raise is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Seated Lateral Raise?
For example the Band Lateral Raise, Cable Lateral Raise and Cable Lateral Raise (Cuff). They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Seated Lateral Raise harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Cable Lateral Raise (No Attachment) and Double Cable Lateral Raise.
Sources
- Coratella et al. 2020, IJERPH 17(17):6015 (lateral raise variations and front raise)
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