Side Raises For Shoulders

Side raises are an easy to do shoulder exercise that will work the sides of your delts. All you need for them is two weights, which can be a pair of dumbbells, but also anything else that provides resistance.

Side Raises

The exercise works the lateral (Latin for “side”) part of your shoulder (“deltoid”) muscle, which is why you also find it referred to as “lateral raises”. When you do it, make sure to use the right amount of weight and that you aren’t cheating:

The shoulders are small muscles. They do not require humongous weights to work them and, as said in the video, can react harshly if you cheat by doing swinging motions. Really keep in mind that if your shoulders get injured, you will be blocked from most upper body exercises for weeks or even months.

No Dumbbells?

If you don’t have dumbbells, you can still do the exercise. Anything you can hold in your hands and lift in this fashion can be your dumbbells; check this video for ideas on how to create low-cost workout equipment.