Exercise Of The Week: Lateral Raise

 

Lateral raise (also known as shoulder fly) is a strength training exercise to work the shoulder muscles
, in which the hand and arm move through an arc while the elbow is kept at a constant angle.The shoulders bear the brunt of a lot of upper body movement, and numerous exercises for the upper body involve the deltoids (part of the shoulder muscles) as secondary stabilizers. Thus lateral raise is good for developing upper body strength. 

How to:

1. With a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in, stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms down by your sides. This is your starting position.
2.  With straight arms, exhale as you raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel with the floor.
3.  Hold the contraction for a moment and then inhale as you lower the dumbbells back to your starting position.
4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Tip:

• Keep your abs tight and your waist stationary throughout the moves.
• 12 to 15 repetitions make a complete set

 
Variation: This exercise can also be performed sitting down and using band or cable machine.