Dumbbell Seated Bent Arm Lateral raise
- Músculo objetivo
- Deltoid Lateral
- Músculos sinergistas
- Deltoid Anterior, Serratus Anterior, Trapezius Lower Fibers, Trapezius Middle Fibers
- Equipamiento
- Dumbbell
- Parte del cuerpo
- Shoulders
- Tipo
- Strength
The dumbbell seated bent arm lateral raise is a shoulder isolation exercise that targets the side deltoids, with help from the front deltoids, serratus anterior, and the middle and lower trapezius. Keeping your elbows bent shortens the lever, so it isolates the side delts well with lighter weight, and sitting down removes momentum for cleaner reps.
Cómo hacer el Dumbbell Seated Bent Arm Lateral raise
- 1Sit upright on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand resting at your sides.
- 2Brace your core, keep your chest tall, and let your arms hang with a fixed bend of roughly 90 degrees at the elbows.
- 3Without straightening your arms, raise the dumbbells out to the sides by driving your elbows up and out.
- 4Lead with the elbows, keeping them slightly higher than your wrists so the work stays on the side delts.
- 5Stop when your upper arms reach shoulder height, forming a line across your shoulders.
- 6Pause briefly at the top without shrugging your shoulders toward your ears.
- 7Lower the dumbbells under control back to your sides, keeping the elbow bend constant.
- 8Complete your reps, then rest the dumbbells back at your sides or on the floor.
Consejos de técnica
- Keep the elbow angle fixed at about 90 degrees for the whole set; letting it open turns this into a longer-lever raise.
- Lead the movement with your elbows, not your hands, to keep tension on the side deltoids.
- Use a controlled tempo and pause at the top rather than swinging the dumbbells with momentum.
- Pick a lighter weight than you would for a straight-arm raise, since the bent arm makes the exercise feel different but the side delts still do the work.
- Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears to avoid taking over the lift with your upper traps.
Errores comunes
- Letting the elbows straighten during the rep, which lengthens the lever and shifts the load away from the side delts.
- Raising the dumbbells above shoulder height, which recruits the traps and reduces tension on the side deltoids.
- Shrugging the shoulders up at the top, which moves the work onto the upper traps and can strain the neck.
- Using momentum by leaning or swinging the torso, which cheats the rep and removes tension from the target muscle.
- Going too heavy and rotating the arms forward, which turns the movement into a front raise and over-loads the front delts.
Preguntas frecuentes
What muscles does the dumbbell seated bent arm lateral raise work?
It primarily targets the side (lateral) deltoids, with the front deltoids, serratus anterior, and the middle and lower trapezius assisting to stabilize and move the arms.
Why keep the arms bent instead of straight?
Bending the elbows shortens the lever between the weight and your shoulder, so the side delts can move the load with lighter dumbbells. It is easier on the elbows than a fully straight-arm raise.
How high should I raise the dumbbells?
Raise your upper arms until they reach about shoulder height, forming a line across your shoulders. Going higher shifts the work to the traps and reduces tension on the side delts.
How many sets and reps should I do?
As a shoulder isolation move it responds well to higher reps. Three to four sets of 12 to 20 reps with a controlled tempo is a sensible default.
What is a good alternative to this exercise?
A standing dumbbell lateral raise or a seated straight-arm lateral raise both train the side delts. The bent-arm version simply lets you use lighter weight while keeping the side delts as the focus.
