Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Shoulders · Dumbbell · Beginner
How to do it
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
- Keep your back straight and engage your core.
- Raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles worked
Primary: Delts
Secondary: Traps
Is your Dumbbell Lateral Raise good?
Enter your bodyweight to compare against Buffro's nine strength ranks. The source is Buffro's exercise-specific standards, not a generic chart copied across every movement.
| Buffro rank | Estimated 1RM |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 10 kg |
| Novice | 14 kg |
| Intermediate | 18 kg |
| Advanced | 25 kg |
| Expert | 32 kg |
| Veteran | 40 kg |
| Elite | 48 kg |
| Master | 57 kg |
| Apex | 66 kg |
These are estimated one-rep-max targets for adults under 40, scaled to bodyweight. Enter the total external load recorded in Buffro, which means both dumbbells combined for bilateral lifts. They are training benchmarks, not medical or safety limits.
The table uses the same nine tiers as the Buffro app for Dumbbell Lateral Raise.
Sets and reps
Use an easy load and stop well before failure while you learn the movement.
Finish most sets with 1-3 good reps still available.
Use strict form and progress the load only after the top of the rep range is clean.
Common mistakes
- Rushing the weaker side or letting the dumbbells drift. Keep both sides moving through the same range and tempo.
- Shortening the range as fatigue builds. Use the largest pain-free range that keeps tension on your delts.
- Turning the set into a speed contest. Pause briefly in the hardest position, then control the return instead of dropping into the next rep.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise FAQ
What muscles does the Dumbbell Lateral Raise work?
The primary target is delts. It also involves traps while you keep the movement controlled.
How many sets and reps should I do for the Dumbbell Lateral Raise?
Start with 3 sets in a repeatable range. Use 6-12 reps for most compound work or 10-15 for smaller isolation work, then add load after you can complete every rep cleanly.
How should I read the Dumbbell Lateral Raise strength standards?
Compare estimated one-rep max, not the weight from an arbitrary rep count. Buffro scales the published target to your bodyweight and sex.
