Dumbbell Seated Alternating Lateral Raise

Perform the dumbbell seated alternating lateral raise to target your shoulder muscles effectively.

  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Raise one dumbbell out to the side until your arm is parallel to the floor.
  3. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm.
  4. Maintain a straight back and avoid using momentum.

How to perform the Dumbbell Seated Alternating Lateral Raise

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Seated Alternating Lateral Raise using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your deltoids.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your deltoids rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

Build a free routine

Stage exercises here, then sign up to save them as a real Fitly routine — synced to web and mobile.

View staged routine (0)

Related exercises

0 exercises staged Save your routine — sign up free.