Dumbbell Standing Front and Lateral Raise - How to Perform, Muscles, Variants | SatisFIT Skip to main content

Dumbbell Standing Front and Lateral Raise

Step by step instructions, muscle activation and variants for the Dumbbell Standing Front and Lateral Raise.

MediumFront shouldersSide shoulders

About this exercise

A combination shoulder raise that targets both the front and side deltoids in a single continuous movement — raising the dumbbells to the front and then out to the sides (or vice versa) — for efficient delt development without switching exercises.

How to Perform

  • Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing inward
  • Keeping a slight bend in the elbows, raise both dumbbells straight in front of you to shoulder height
  • Without lowering the weights, sweep the dumbbells out to your sides into a lateral raise position at shoulder height
  • Pause briefly, then reverse the arc back to the front and lower under control to the starting position
  • Keep your torso upright and avoid using momentum or shrugging the shoulders

Muscle Activation

Primary
Front shouldersSide shoulders
Secondary
Trapezius

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes content is coming soon.

About the Dumbbell Standing Front and Lateral Raise

The Dumbbell Standing Front and Lateral Raise is a foundational movement that builds strength and muscle through controlled, progressive overload. Train it 1 to 2 times per week with 3 to 5 working sets per session, gradually adding weight or reps as form holds up.