Is 20 lb lateral raise good?

It can be, if the reps are strict. The long lever of a lateral raise means even experienced lifters often use dumbbells that look light next to their pressing weights. The better test is whether you can raise 20 lb dumbbells to about shoulder height for your target reps without swinging, leaning or shrugging. If you can, it is a good working weight for you; if the last reps turn into a heave, drop down a size.

How to do a lateral raise correctly?

To do a lateral raise correctly, hold a light to moderate dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a slight elbow bend, then raise both arms out to the sides, leading with your elbows, until they reach roughly shoulder height. Pause briefly without shrugging your shoulders up, then lower under control back to your sides.

Should I go heavy or light on lateral raises?

Use a weight you can move strictly for about 10 to 20 reps. Heavier dumbbells tend to pull in the torso, legs and traps, which makes it harder to tell whether the side delts did the work. A moderate load taken close to failure with a full, controlled range is usually the more useful choice for shoulder growth than a heavy set moved with momentum.

Is 10lb lateral raise good?

Yes, 10 lb dumbbells are a common and useful starting weight for lateral raises, especially if you are new to them. If you can already do 20 strict reps with them, add reps with a slow lower or move up to the next dumbbell; if you cannot reach shoulder height without swinging, 10 lb is still a little heavy for now.

How do I know if I'm doing lateral raises correctly?

You are doing lateral raises correctly if you feel the work in your side delts rather than your traps, your torso stays still without swinging, and you stop the lift at roughly shoulder height instead of raising the dumbbells overhead. If your shoulders shrug up toward your ears, the weight is too heavy for strict form.

Lateral raise vs front raise: what's the difference?

The lateral raise lifts the dumbbells out to the sides and targets the side deltoid, which gives the shoulders their width. The front raise lifts the dumbbells forward instead and targets the front deltoid, which already gets heavy indirect work from pressing movements like the bench press and overhead press. Many programmes prioritise the lateral raise for that reason: presses already train the front delt, while the side delt gets less direct work.

Lateral Raise: Form & Muscles Worked

The lateral raise is the most common isolation exercise for the side deltoid, the part of the shoulder that gives it a rounded, “capped” look. In an EMG study of competitive bodybuilders, a neutral-grip lateral raise produced more side-delt activity than a front raise or lateral raises with the arm rotated or elbows flexed.

Because it’s an isolation movement, ego lifting is the most common problem. A heavier set turned into a full-body swing lets the legs and traps do work the side delts were meant to do.

Add it after your main pressing work, such as the overhead press or dumbbell shoulder press, on a push day, so the side delts get direct work after the heavier compound lifts are done.[1]

Lateral Raise vs Front Raise

Both are dumbbell isolation moves for the shoulder, but they target different heads of the deltoid. The lateral raise moves the arms out to the sides, emphasising the side delt. The front raise moves the arms forward, emphasising the front delt, which already works hard in pressing movements.

	Lateral Raise	Front Raise
Movement path	Arms out to the sides	Arms forward
Primary target	Side deltoid	Front deltoid
Overlap with pressing	Low	High (front delts work hard in every press)
Priority	Usually higher	Usually lower, often unnecessary if pressing regularly

Because pressing movements already train the front delt heavily, most programs get more value from prioritizing the lateral raise and treating the front raise as optional. See lateral raise vs front raise for the full pressing-overlap argument and weekly set-volume guidance.

Lateral Raise Alternatives

Cable lateral raise: keeps resistance on the side delt near the bottom of the range, where a dumbbell raise is at its easiest.
Overhead press: a compound alternative that trains the side delt indirectly alongside the front delts and triceps, useful if isolation work isn’t available.
Dumbbell shoulder press: another compound substitute with a similar indirect side-delt training effect.[1]
Machine lateral raise: reduces the balance and stabilisation demand with a fixed path, which some people find more comfortable and easier to repeat.

Muscles Worked by the Lateral Raise

Primary: side (lateral) deltoid[1]
Secondary: front and rear deltoid heads, upper traps (stabilizing the shrug at the top)[1]
Stabilizers: rotator cuff, core[1]

Find a repeatable arm path

Start with a light set and use the side of your body as a reference. Raise the hands slightly forward of a straight line from the shoulders rather than forcing the arms directly out to the side. Keep the elbows softly bent and let the hands follow the elbows. Stop near the highest point you can reach without shrugging, swinging, or changing the rib position. Shoulder height is a useful starting checkpoint, not a rule that every body must match.

Use a three-part rep check: the torso stays quiet, the shoulders do not climb toward the ears, and the lowering phase is as deliberate as the raise. If the dumbbells accelerate from the hips, the range shortens, or the final reps turn into a shrug, reduce the load. A supported seated raise can reduce leg and torso momentum; a cable variation can change the resistance profile, but neither removes the need for a controlled path.

Strict, supported, and lean-away choices

Choose the variation according to the limiter. A standing strict raise is the default when you can keep the same path for the full set. A seated or chest-supported option can make it easier to notice trunk movement. A lean-away cable raise changes the starting leverage and may feel harder near the bottom; it is a variation, not proof that the standard raise is ineffective. Keep the cable attachment and stance consistent when comparing sessions.

If the set fails because…	Try…	Keep the target constant
Your torso swings	Less weight or seated support	Same controlled range
Your traps dominate	Lower the load and stop before a shrug	Shoulders relaxed
Your grip limits the set	A lighter load or cable handle	Arm path and tempo
One side cheats	Train one side at a time	Match the weaker side’s reps

Sets, reps, and progression

Use two to four sets of roughly ten to twenty repetitions, stopping with one to three technically good repetitions available. Log load, reps, variation, and whether the final reps stayed strict. Add repetitions first. Once every set reaches the top of the range without swinging or shrugging, increase the smallest available increment and return to the lower end. If a heavier dumbbell changes the path, it is not a meaningful progression. Place this accessory after the dumbbell shoulder press or use the shoulder exercises guide to choose the rest of the session.

Do not use a lateral raise to test through sharp or worsening shoulder pain. Stop, change the range or load, and seek advice from a qualified professional when symptoms persist.

References

See our exercise methodology for how this evidence is applied and its limits.

Lateral Raise

How to Do It

Common Mistakes