Beginner

Lying Side Lateral Raise

Lying on your side flips the strength curve of a normal raise: the resistance is hardest right off the floor, exactly where a standing raise is easiest. That means the middle delt stays loaded through the stretched, bottom portion it usually gets a break from. It is a low-load, high-feel movement best used for a couple of accessory sets to build the side delt.

Equipment
Dumbbell
Body part
Shoulder
Type
Strength
Browse by muscle
Deltoid Middle
Browse by movement
Shoulder Raise
Muscles worked
Target
Deltoid Middle
Secondary
Trapezius Upper
Tertiary
Deltoid Anterior

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie on your side on a flat bench or the floor with your bottom arm cushioning your head.

  2. 2

    Hold a dumbbell in your top hand resting against the front of your top thigh.

  3. 3

    Keep a slight bend in the elbow and raise the dumbbell straight up toward the ceiling.

  4. 4

    Stop just past vertical, around shoulder height relative to your torso, and pause briefly.

  5. 5

    Lower slowly back down until the weight nearly touches your thigh, then repeat before switching sides.

Tips

  • Move only at the shoulder; do not roll your torso back to help lift the weight.
  • Use a light dumbbell since the bottom of the range is much harder here than in a standing raise.
  • Keep the reps slow and deliberate to make the most of the loaded stretch at the start.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The top shoulder rounds forward at the bottom of the rep, letting the dumbbell drift toward the chest instead of staying in a strict vertical line to the ceiling.
  • Bracing the bottom elbow too far forward props the torso up off the bench, which turns the setup into an incline raise instead of a true lying side raise.
  • The hips roll backward as the weight gets heavy, and the lat and torso rotation quietly take over the lift instead of the delt.
  • The first few inches off the thigh get rushed to get the weight moving, skipping the slow, heavily loaded start that is the whole point of this angle.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the lying side lateral raise should a beginner do?
Two sets of 10 to 12 reps per side is plenty to start, using a noticeably lighter dumbbell than you would for a standing lateral raise since the bottom of this range is far more demanding. Add a rep or two before adding weight, and expect the useful load here to stay light even as you get stronger.
What can you do instead of the lying side lateral raise without a bench?
Lying on the floor works just as well and only trades a small amount of range at the very top; a band lateral raise is a reasonable substitute if lying down is not an option, though it will not load the bottom stretch the same way.
What is the lying side lateral raise good for, and when is it not the best choice?
It loads the middle delt hardest right at the bottom of the arc, a spot most raises leave nearly weightless, which makes it useful for building strength through a fuller range. It is a slow, low-load movement, so it is a poor choice when you are short on time or want a raise you can load heavily for size, and a standing or seated version fits better in that case.

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