1. Isolate Your Shoulder
Laterals help tone and build muscle mass in the lateral deltoid, which is one of three deltoid muscles in your upper arm. Often people refer to the lateral deltoid as the shoulder or side deltoid. In a lateral raise, the lateral deltoid rotates the shoulder internally. Most lateral exercises target the shoulder joint, which means the movement is isolated rather than compounded.
2. Pump Some Iron
The dumbbell lateral raise is one of the most common shoulder exercises you can do. Grab a set of dumbbells and stand with your legs shoulder width apart. You want to bend forward at the hips and slightly bend your knees and elbows. When you're ready, extend your arms to the side and raise them to shoulder height. Slowly lower your arms to your starting point. The movement looks like a bird flapping its wings. As you do the exercise, keep your elbow level or slightly above your wrist to target the lateral deltoids. For variation, use a cable crossover machine instead of dumbbells.
3. Stabilize Your Body
Do you find yourself wobbling forward or pumping with your legs when you do laterals? If so, you are cheating your muscles out of an optimal workout. For the best results, choose a weight you can lift without help from your legs or increased momentum. Firmly set your legs so your body balances with the weight. As you lift, control the entire motion, especially the downward stroke when gravity tries to help out. To control your breathing, inhale on the downward pull and exhale during the lift.
4. Maintain During Pregnancy
Keeping in shape while you're pregnant presents a challenge for many women. Laterals help you burn calories and maintain a toned upper body without hurting the baby. As your belly grows, modify the exercise by sitting on a stability ball to take the weight off your legs and lower back. You may want to reduce the weight or exercise one arm at a time. If your pregnancy creates problems with balance, sit on a bench for more stability.
5. Avoid Injuries
If at any time you feel pain in your shoulder, stop the exercise immediately. The problem may be as simple as using too much weight. One of the most common injuries sustained during laterals is hyperextension. This occurs when you force your wrists to rise above your shoulders. If you do injure your shoulder, don't do shoulder exercises with weight until you have full range of motion without pain or stiffness.
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