Leaning Single Arm Lateral Raise

What you'll gain

• Leaning away lengthens the side delt at the bottom compared with a standing raise.

• The post takes cheating out of the lift so the working arm has to do the work.

• Working one arm at a time makes left-right differences visible.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Stand beside a sturdy post and grip it with the inside hand at about chest height.

2. 2

   Place both feet near the post and lean away until the working arm hangs clear of the hip.

3. 3

   Hold one dumbbell in the outside hand with a slight elbow bend and the palm facing in.

4. 4

   Brace the trunk so only the working arm moves.

5. 5

   Raise the dumbbell out to the side until the upper arm is about parallel to the floor.

6. 6

   Lower slowly into the hang, then finish the set and switch sides.

Common Mistakes

• Swinging the dumbbell, which means the load is too heavy for a strict raise.

• Shrugging the trap so the side delt loses the top of the range.

• Letting the torso rotate or sit up as the bell rises.

• Leaning so little that the working arm never hangs into the extra stretch.

About This Exercise

The leaning single-arm lateral raise is a supported isolation. You grip a post with the inside hand, lean away so the working arm hangs clear of the hip, then raise one dumbbell out to the side until the upper arm is about parallel to the floor. The lean puts the side delt under tension through more of the range than a standing raise, and the post takes cheating out of the lift. The approved frame matches that setup: feet at the post, torso angled out, one hex dumbbell hanging, both deltoid caps highlighted. For a library the value is the lean. Use it as the advanced entry in the lateral raise family, in dumbbell filters, and in content about how body angle changes a resistance curve.

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