We present one of the best-known shoulder exercises of all, the lateral lift with dumbbells. Let’s see how it is done correctly.
The only thing we must take into account is not to work with too much weight, that is, not to overload the muscle.
The best results are obtained with series of many repetitions, between about 10 and 25. And taking into account to vary the angle of start of the movement, a factor that many people do not perform either in general due to ignorance.
It is also useful to work without too much rest time between series and until you get a burning sensation on the muscle (keep in mind that burning is not synonymous with pain).
For a greater intensity of work what we can also do is keep the arms suspended horizontally a fraction of time before returning to the original position.
SIDE LIFT WITH STANDING DUMBBELLS
- We stand with a separation of legs of width of shoulders, the back well straight, the arms parallel to the body and a dumbbell in each.
- We inspire and raise each dumbbell together, until positioning the arms horizontally, taking into account to keep the elbows slightly flexed in order to avoid overexertion on the muscles of the forearm.
- At the end of the movement, we exhale and proceed to bring the arms in a controlled way to the initial position.
As I said before changing the starting position of the arms we can work the whole set of deltoids, there are 3 variants:
- With the Dumbbells in front of the legs, in the Front Shoulder Lift.
- With the Dumbbells behind, on the back, in the Inclined Elevation with Dumbbells.
TIPS FOR PERFORMING LATERAL LIFTING WITH DUMBBELLS
When you perform the lateral lifting with dumbbells you must use a load adapted to your level, they should not be too heavy or too light, the exercise should be done comfortably, but with some difficulty.
Keep in mind, as I said before, that if this exercise is executed correctly, attention will be focused on the work of the external deltoids. But by elevating behind the back, we can also train the posterior deltoid. Use the right weight here so as not to overload the muscle.
Never turn your palms forward or up. The tension will focus too much on the anterior deltoid.
If the legs are too close together, the balance will not be good and the corrections will be made at the level of the spine, which can damage the area and lead to pain or injury.
Do not perform the exercise being too upright, if so, you will be forced to lean back when raising the dumbbells, which is bad for the back and to maintain balance.
SIDE LIFT WITH BENCH DUMBBELLS
Lateral elevation with bench dumbbells is another good insulation exercise for the middle deltoid. This variant of the lateral dumbbell lift may be a little more difficult to perform for beginners, but it is an interesting variation if you are looking to take your shoulder workouts further.
- Hold a dumbbell with your right hand and lie on its left side on an inclined bench that is set at about 40-60 degrees.
- Hold the dumbbell with your right arm and palm facing your thigh.
- Without flexing your elbow (or extending it completely), raise your arm until it is in line with your shoulder. At this point you can turn your palm outward to favor the intervention of accessory muscles.
- Now lower the load while maintaining strict control of movement.
- Perform the repetitions established in your routine and then change arms.
- If you do not have an inclined bench, you can also perform this type of lateral lift lying on a bench or on the floor, but the main advantage of using an inclined bench is that you can benefit from constant resistance throughout the range of motion because this position eliminates the “neutral spot” at the top of a conventional standing lift.
- The inclined position basically allows you to strictly isolate the movement to the middle deltoid. Therefore, exercise is more difficult this way than when you are standing.
- Of course! Never forget that the goal here is not to lift huge dumbbells, but to maintain the correct technique.