Skip to content
ascend.
Exercise guide

Side Laterals to Front Raise

How to do the Side Laterals to Front Raise with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationDumbbellBeginnerPush
Primary muscles

Shoulders

Secondary

Traps

Equipment

Dumbbell

Step by step

How to do the Side Laterals to Front Raise

  1. 1

    In a standing position, hold a pair of dumbbells at your side. This will be your starting position.

  2. 2

    Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise the weights directly in front of you to shoulder height, avoiding any swinging or cheating.

  3. 3

    At the top of the exercise move the weights out in front of you, keeping your arms extended.

  4. 4

    Lower the weights with a controlled motion.

  5. 5

    On the next repetition, raise the weights in front of you to shoulder height before moving the weights laterally to your sides.

  6. 6

    Lower the weights to the starting position.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Side Laterals to Front Raise set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More shoulders exercises

FAQ

Side Laterals to Front Raise: common questions

What muscles does the Side Laterals to Front Raise work?

The Side Laterals to Front Raise primarily works the Shoulders. It also recruits the Traps as supporting muscles.

Is the Side Laterals to Front Raise suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Side Laterals to Front Raise is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.

What equipment do I need for the Side Laterals to Front Raise?

To do the Side Laterals to Front Raise you'll need a dumbbell.

Is the Side Laterals to Front Raise a compound or isolation exercise?

The Side Laterals to Front Raise is an isolation exercise, it targets the shoulders through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.

How do I do the Side Laterals to Front Raise with correct form?

In a standing position, hold a pair of dumbbells at your side. This will be your starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.

Try the climb

Log your Side Laterals to Front Raise sets, free.

Waitlist members get TestFlight + Play Store internal-track invites and a founder badge on their profile.

Free to join · No card · Founder badge kept
Ascend Club

The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.

Core tracking stays free forever, the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.

See Club plans

14-day free trial · no card to start

 FreeClub
Tracking, the climb and streaks
Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables
Muscle-league tiers
The AI coachnudgesFull conversation
Worldwide leagues and challenges,
PR projections and deep analytics,
Unlimited crews,
Themes, export and higher AI limits,