Exercise Profile
  • Target Muscle Group
  • Exercise TypeStrength
  • Equipment RequiredDumbbell
  • MechanicsIsolation
  • Force TypePull (Bilateral)
  • Experience LevelIntermediate
  • Secondary Muscles
    Traps, Upper Back
Target Muscle Group

Shoulders

Shoulders Muscle Anatomy Diagram

Lateral Raise Partials Overview

The lateral raise partials exercise is a variation of the dumbbell lateral raise used to isolate the muscles of the shoulder.

Performing partial movements is a strength building technique that can be applied to all movements. Doing so allows you to train a certain portion of the range of motion for any given exercise with a heavier weight than you’d be able to use otherwise for the exercise.

Lateral Raise Partials Instructions

  1. Select the desired weight from the rack then take a few steps back into an open area.
  2. Take a deep breath and raise the dumbbells to roughly 45 degrees using a neutral grip (palms facing in).
  3. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Lateral Raise Partials Tips

  • These work especially well when supersetted with full range laterals with lighter weight.
  • If you want to keep more tension through the side delts, don’t allow the weights to touch your sides and control the eccentric (lowering) portion of the movement.
  • Keep the abs braced and don’t lean back or arch the back at the top of the movement.
  • Allow the arms to move freely but don’t lock out the elbows.
  • If you encounter pain in the shoulder while performing the movement, consider implement one of the following tweaks:
    • Tilt your pinkies slightly higher than your thumbs. Imagine you’re pouring out a cup of water.
    • Turn your palms forward so that your thumbs are pointing away from your body. This will put the shoulder in a more externally rotated position and potentially open up the shoulder joint to allow for a bit more movement.
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