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Step 1
Select a pair of equal dumbbells that will initially allow you to perform 12 to 15 repetitions before failure. As you become stronger, you will begin increasing the weights so that you fail after about 8 reps.
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Step 2
Find a standard weight chair with a vertical back, adjusting it if necessary. This exercise also may be performed without a chair but this makes it more difficult to avoid "cheating" by bringing other muscles into play.
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Step 3
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arms from your sides to shoulder level, with only a slight bend in your elbows. Exhale during this part of the movement and pause at the top to squeeze your deltoids.
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Step 4
Lower the dumbbells as far as you can without relieving the tension on your deltoids, inhaling as you do so to complete your first rep. Your arms should normally form at least a 10- to 15-degree angle with the rest of your body at the lowest point.
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Step 5
Vary the angle of your elbows to control the specific part of the deltoids that are targeted. If your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle, you are essentially performing a shoulder fly. Note that the angle of your elbows should not change during a lateral raise because this will allow other muscles to assist the deltoids.
