Frontal and lateral raises are two effective exercises for developing broad shoulders. They target not only shoulder muscles – specifically the anterior deltoid muscle – but also pectoralis major.
However, they’re an exercise that may be difficult to perform correctly due to their impact on shoulder joint health; lifting too much weight increases risk for injury.
1. Focus on your form
People turn to frontal and lateral raise exercises as one of their go-to exercises for strengthening shoulder muscles. These simple, compound exercises can be completed using different types of equipment in a variety of ways. Integrating them into your routine should be easy; the key to their success, however, lies in mastering proper form – this helps avoid injury while optimizing results. Kate Meier of NASM-CPT fame shares step-by-step instructions for performing these exercises correctly as well as trainer tips, common errors to avoid, as well as some variations to add spice into your routine!
Lateral raises target the lateral head of the deltoid muscle as well as your triceps and trapezius in your upper back. To perform this movement, position yourself with feet shoulder-width apart, chest upright and core tight while holding neutrally gripped dumbbells with palms facing each other – then lift straight out with arms extended but only slight bent to protect elbow joints; continue until arms reach shoulder height, return them back down, count one rep once they return, then repeat.
One of the main mistakes lifters make with lateral raises is using too much weight. Because shoulders are an area with plenty of leverage working against them, going too heavy could result in injury – this is particularly relevant with isolation exercises like lateral raises. To reduce injury risks while simultaneously improving performance and training at an efficient rate, select lighter weights which challenge but still allow you to progress at an appropriate rate.
An important consideration when selecting weight for lateral raises is to avoid lifting your arms above shoulder height, which puts too much tension on the traps rather than on your deltoids – this should not be your aim with these movements! While it might be tempting to add extra weight when your lateral raises become easier, always remember to increase weight gradually rather than by pounds alone.
2. Don’t swing your arms
When performing front raises, it can be tempting to swing your arms to generate momentum and put unnecessary stress on your shoulders – leading to less out of each rep and potentially harming them in the process. To avoid making this error, perform each movement slowly and with care so as not to incorporate momentum into each rep and reap its maximum benefit.
Mistakenly shrugging their shoulders when performing front raises is another common error that people make when performing them, which activates trap muscles and takes some of the strain off of your anterior deltoids. To avoid this mistaken move, keep your shoulders away from your ears throughout your set of front raises and keep them down as much as possible.
lateral raises are one of the best exercises for targeting outer areas of your shoulders to achieve a more defined and muscular look. They’re also highly beneficial in increasing shoulder mobility, stability and joint health – so do them regularly and enjoy!
With a lateral raise, you can target all three heads of your deltoid muscle – which consists of multiple groups that connect to the upper arm bone known as your humerus – while simultaneously building trapezius muscle fibers located at the top of your neck.
This isolation exercise is an excellent alternative to military presses, which may place too much strain on the shoulders. Utilizing light weights with multiple reps may prove challenging and require you to focus on form. Be careful not to push yourself too hard as doing so could risk injury!
Performing lateral raises regularly has another great advantage – working the small muscles responsible for extending and flexing wrists as well as back muscles. Unfortunately, however, those who neglect this exercise might overlook its importance and miss this essential component of physical therapy.
3. Don’t lean back
An often-made error when performing frontal and lateral raises is arching their back as they lift weights upward, leading to compression of shoulder joints and strain on rotator cuff muscles, potentially leading to injury. Maintaining neutral shoulders as much as possible while engaging your core muscles to support an upright and stable stance are crucial in order to avoid injury and ensure effective exercises.
You’ll use dumbbells in both hands when performing this movement. According to one study, it was found that the lateral raise was better at activating side deltoids (where most growth occurs) than both bench pressing and dumbbell flye, as well as activating middle deltoids similar to shoulder pressing and even targeting rear deltoids with equal effectiveness – making it an excellent way of creating balanced shoulders with rounded profiles.
However, just because lateral raises target specific shoulder muscles does not mean you should avoid other shoulder exercises such as the chest press or overhead dumbbell rows. A combination of frontal and lateral raises may provide the best way to target all three shoulder muscles simultaneously.
The frontal raise is another effective exercise that targets the anterior deltoid muscle group. It can serve as an excellent alternative to barbell bench presses for those who may have shoulder issues or simply don’t wish to put too much strain on their shoulders.
Frontal raises can be tricky. They might not be suitable for anyone recovering from shoulder injuries or with history of impingement syndrome; you should probably opt out altogether if you suffer from poor posture or have been diagnosed with scapular dyskinesia.
Lifting weights correctly can be challenging, particularly if using too much. It is easy to get carried away by our ego and try lifting heavier than necessary; however, doing this could actually hinder results and even cause injury.
To avoid this from happening, always ensure you use a spotter when lifting heavy, or at least use one when first starting out with weight lifting. Doing this will allow you to learn the movement patterns before taking on more load than is safe for your body. Pausing briefly at the top of each rep can also help kill momentum and extend time spent under load.
4. Don’t shrug your shoulders
Unless you are extremely cautious when performing frontal and lateral raises, it can be easy for weight to shift to other muscle groups in your upper body – including shoulder muscles – leading to potential injury. If your neck straining increases or shoulder pads start bringing up the rear during exercise, discontinue use immediately and decrease weights accordingly.
Avoid shrugging your shoulders when performing this exercise; doing so activates both rotator cuff, biceps, trapezius muscles in your upper back as well as serratus anterior on ribcage and pectoralis major in chest. Incorporating the lateral raise into workout routines means targeting each of these muscle groups separately for maximum benefit.
The lateral raise is one of the best exercises for developing round, muscular shoulders. This movement targets your middle deltoid muscle which plays a significant role in stabilizing and protecting the shoulder joint from strain while carrying loads.
As part of your exercise routine, this move also targets your front deltoids to a lesser extent. By strengthening both sets of lateral and front deltoids simultaneously, it will help improve posture and help avoid that pesky hunch so common among desk workers.
Though a simple movement, mastering the lateral raise can be challenging for beginners. To ensure you’re targeting your lateral deltoid properly and don’t lift more weight than necessary, start off light and concentrate on technique rather than trying to lift more.
As soon as you’ve mastered frontal and lateral raises, you can incorporate them into your routine at higher weights. However, be sure to always perform them under supervision by either using a spotter or bench so as not to fall or lose control of the weights. Don’t increase weight too quickly as doing too many heavy sets too quickly could result in injuries in either shoulder or back – start small and increase it slowly until reaching 12 or more reps before moving up a weight category.
