Single Arm Lateral Raise With Dumbbell

Illustration And Description

The single side dumbbell lateral raise is a variation of the side dumbbell lateral raise. The only difference is that one dumbbell is used as opposed to two.

This is one of my favourite exercises and one held in high regard by the old time trainers. Besides being a fantastic shoulder builder, this exercise does not cause a whole lot of back discomfort. The exercise fixes your position thereby avoiding all possibility of cheating.

This is one exercise you don’t see being done very often these days but trust me, it is very effective. This is an isolation exercise and like the side dumbbell lateral, form is very important. You don't need to be using heavy weight for this exercise. Remember, you really want to "feel" this exercise and concentrate of technique.


Position for the single side dumbbell lateral raise

1. Place your left arm on a suitable support. I usually use the back of an incline bench. You can use an incline bench or the dumbbell rack.

2. Standing with your legs apart, hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Adopt a comfortable position with your torso bent slightly forward at a 70 degree angle.

Execution of the single side dumbbell lateral raise

1. Raise the dumbbell out to the side, keeping the palm of your hand facing downward. Try and really concentrate on using your shoulder to lift the weight. Remember, your arm should be slightly bent and unlocked.

2. Don’t start this exercise with a thrust. You will use the momentum instead of muscle to raise the weight which you don’t want.