Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise is a shoulder isolation exercise where you lean away from a stationary support to increase the range of motion and tension on the side delts. This variation targets the lateral deltoid more effectively than standard raises by eliminating the resting point at the bottom of the movement.
Because the lateral deltoid is a small muscle group easily prone to fatigue and overuse, the AI analyzes your recovery data, such as HRV and sleep quality, to prescribe the optimal volume for this isolation movement. By tracking your RPE and performance history, the app ensures you are stimulating growth without compromising form or risking impingement. If you have a history of shoulder pain logged in your profile, the AI can instantly suggest safer alternatives or adjust the intensity to prevent aggravation.
Form Cues
- Lean your full bodyweight away from the anchor point
- Lead the movement with your elbow, not your hand
- Maintain a slight bend in your elbow throughout
- Control the weight slowly on the way down
- Keep your torso rigid and core engaged
- Don't shrug your shoulders up towards your ears
- Don't use momentum to swing the weight up
- Don't let your wrist rotate higher than your elbow
- Don't bring the weight all the way to your thigh to rest
- Don't rotate your torso to help lift the weight
Common Mistakes
- Shrugging the traps at the top
- Leading with the hand/wrist
- Using excessive momentum
- Resting at the bottom of the rep
- Bending the elbow too much
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily isolates the lateral head of the deltoid, which is crucial for developing shoulder width and the 'capped' look. By leaning away, you create a mechanical disadvantage that keeps tension on the muscle even at the bottom of the movement, engaging the deltoid through a longer effective range of motion than a standard standing raise.
Primary
Secondary
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