Dumbbell Seated Full Lateral Raise
What you'll gain
Sitting removes leg drive so the lateral deltoids have to lift the load.
A full raise to shoulder height trains the complete abduction arc.
A backless seat still asks the trunk to stay upright without a pad.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Sit tall on a backless bench with a dumbbell in each hand hanging at your sides.
- 2
Plant your feet and keep a slight bend in both elbows.
- 3
Brace the abs so the torso does not lean back as the arms rise.
- 4
Raise both dumbbells out to the sides until the arms reach about shoulder height.
- 5
Pause briefly without shrugging the shoulders toward the ears.
- 6
Lower under control to the hang and repeat.
Common Mistakes
Raising the arms well above shoulder height, which shifts the work onto the traps.
Leaning the torso back to swing the dumbbells up.
Bending the elbows into a 90-degree curl so the path becomes a press.
Shrugging the shoulders at the top instead of keeping them down.
About This Exercise
The seated full lateral raise is a two-arm shoulder abduction from an unsupported seat. Sitting on a backless bench or stool takes the legs out of the lift, so the lateral deltoids have to raise the dumbbells without a hip dip or torso swing. Arms travel out to the sides until they reach about shoulder height, then lower under control. Full here means a complete abduction to that horizontal finish, not an overhead press. Raising much higher than the shoulders starts to hand the work to the upper traps. This clip is the unsupported seated raise, distinct from the back-supported seated lateral raise in the same library. It fits shoulder isolation filters, strict accessory blocks, and coaching pages that show why sitting down removes cheat from a lateral raise.
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A seated side raise on a backless bench, lifting both dumbbells out to shoulder height with a slight elbow bend.
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Specifications
Built for
- Strict seated lateral-raise slot in shoulder hypertrophy templates.
- Isolation accessory after an overhead press in a push session.
- Coaching clips that show why sitting down cuts cheat from a raise.
- Variant page next to the back-supported seated lateral raise.
Muscles Worked
Details
License Includes
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