Side Laterals to Front Raise

What you'll gain

• Hits the side and front of the deltoid in one controlled rep.

• Keeps time under tension longer than a single-plane raise.

• Needs only a light pair of dumbbells, so it fits home setups.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand hanging in front of the thighs, palms facing in.

2. 2

   Brace the trunk and keep a slight bend in both elbows.

3. 3

   Raise both bells out to the sides until the upper arms are about parallel to the floor.

4. 4

   Sweep the bells forward at that same height until they meet in front of the chest.

5. 5

   Lower under control back to the thighs.

6. 6

   Repeat without shrugging the traps or swinging the torso.

Common Mistakes

• Swinging the torso to throw the bells up instead of lifting with the delts.

• Shrugging the traps so the raise becomes an upright row.

• Lifting the bells above shoulder height, which dumps load into the neck.

• Rushing the side-to-front sweep so the elbows straighten and lock.

About This Exercise

Side laterals to front raise is one continuous shoulder isolation: a lateral raise to shoulder height, then a sweep that brings both bells in front of the body before they lower. The side raise loads the middle deltoid; the sweep into the front raise shifts the work onto the anterior deltoid without putting the bells down. Stop at shoulder height on both angles. Swinging the torso or shrugging the traps only takes load off the delts. For a catalog this is a two-angle deltoid clip in one loop. App builders can use it in shoulder accessory blocks, dumbbell-only programs, and pages that contrast a pure lateral raise with a combined raise.

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