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Overview
Dumbbell side laterals are a staple exercise for isolating stress on the middle (median) deltoids. Very little stress is placed on the front or rear deltoids or on the trapezius muscles.
Setup
Take one relatively light dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Let the weight hang just in front of your body with the palms facing inward toward each other. Your elbows should be bent just slightly and the body should be leaned forward just a little bit.
Movement
Use the strength in your shoulder muscles to pull the weights outward and upward in a semicircular motion until the weights reach the level of your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulders for a moment at the top before lowering the weight back to the floor.
This exercise best focuses on the median deltoids when the wrist is rotated just slightly so that when the dumbbells are fully raised, the back end of the dumbbell is slightly higher than the front end.
Tips From the Trainer
For a more strict movement, begin this exercise with the hands hanging down directly to your sides. This helps to eliminate some of the momentum built up at the beginning of the movement when many weight lifters often swing the weights at the bottom. Removing this momentum forces your muscles to do the work of raising the weight. Also, consider leaning against a wall or sitting in an upright bench for a stricter movement.
This shoulder exercise can also be performed one arm at a time. Simply use your free hand to grasp a strong support while the opposite hand lifts the weight. Remember to do the same weight and number of repetitions on each arm.
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