Dumbbell lateral raises

ghudson92
ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I have a question. When doing dumbbell lateral raises, should I be feeling a squeeze in my shoulder blades? Not painful, just a squeeze. I was wondering if I'm not standing straight enough.

Replies

  • BrianKMcFalls
    BrianKMcFalls Posts: 190 Member
    You should feel the lower trapezios muscles (between the shoulder blades) contracting, those are secondary muscles worked in dumbell lateral raises. If that's what your describing.
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    BrianKMcFalls wrote: »
    You should feel the lower trapezios muscles (between the shoulder blades) contracting, those are secondary muscles worked in dumbell lateral raises. If that's what your describing.

    Ah yes that's it! Thank you. I am a bit cautious as I know I have bad posture. Sorry if it seemed a silly question.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited November 2018
    Set your posture on each exercise before you lift. Consider starting with a few reps very light weights to get the form cirrect. Form includes posture. It can take s long time to totally fix it.
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Set your posture on each exercise before you lift. Consider starting with a few reps very light weights to get the form cirrect. Form includes posture. It can take s long time to totally fix it.

    My trainer is going to take a look next week at my form. Thanks for your response.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    You don't want to go above parallel with the DB and you don't want to involve any "shrugging" type motions to get the weight moving or to complete the motion. It's hard to keep the traps completely out of the picture but they should only have a very minor part in a lateral raise. If your traps are becoming too involved it's usually a sign of too much weight or bad form.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    You don't want to go above parallel with the DB and you don't want to involve any "shrugging" type motions to get the weight moving or to complete the motion. It's hard to keep the traps completely out of the picture but they should only have a very minor part in a lateral raise. If your traps are becoming too involved it's usually a sign of too much weight or bad form.

    Emg studies (basmajian) show the deltoids are most active when the arms are above shoulder level
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    Thanks guys. My trainer is going to check my form next week.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited November 2018
    watts6151 wrote: »
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    You don't want to go above parallel with the DB and you don't want to involve any "shrugging" type motions to get the weight moving or to complete the motion. It's hard to keep the traps completely out of the picture but they should only have a very minor part in a lateral raise. If your traps are becoming too involved it's usually a sign of too much weight or bad form.

    Emg studies (basmajian) show the deltoids are most active when the arms are above shoulder level
    That’s also where the highest chance of impingement is. Hence the common advice to keep both upright rows and lateral raises no higher than parallel.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    You don't want to go above parallel with the DB and you don't want to involve any "shrugging" type motions to get the weight moving or to complete the motion. It's hard to keep the traps completely out of the picture but they should only have a very minor part in a lateral raise. If your traps are becoming too involved it's usually a sign of too much weight or bad form.

    Emg studies (basmajian) show the deltoids are most active when the arms are above shoulder level
    That’s also where the highest chance of impingement is. Hence the common advice to keep both upright rows and lateral raises no higher than parallel.

    Hi

    Can you send me the information on that please, cannot find anything myself and my sports physio has me doing them as
    Prehab
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    You don't want to go above parallel with the DB and you don't want to involve any "shrugging" type motions to get the weight moving or to complete the motion. It's hard to keep the traps completely out of the picture but they should only have a very minor part in a lateral raise. If your traps are becoming too involved it's usually a sign of too much weight or bad form.

    Emg studies (basmajian) show the deltoids are most active when the arms are above shoulder level
    That’s also where the highest chance of impingement is. Hence the common advice to keep both upright rows and lateral raises no higher than parallel.

    Hi

    Can you send me the information on that please, cannot find anything myself and my sports physio has me doing them as
    Prehab

    How are you doing lateral raises and moving significantly past 90*? I've broken my shoulder - had an avulsion fracture of the greater tuberosity and there is severe impingement when I do lateral raises for that shoulder even before parallel. That structure, with arms fairly straight gets caught-up at the edge of the socket. My other arm I can get to 90 but if I push past there is also significant impingement/binding... but this is typical. The only way most people can move easily past parallel with palms pronated and facing the ground - assuming a relatively straight arm and not the heavily bent elbow style adopted by some lifters to move heavier weight - is to turn the forearm so that the thumbs face up. If you start with the palms against the sides of your legs... and keep that angle as your raise your arms (palms will then face the ground) and even if you do the "pour the water out" twist, parallel is where the binding starts - some people can force past that point, but unless you change the articulation of the forearm by bending the elbow or turning the hand so thumb faces ceiling you aren't getting much past that point.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    For the lateral raise to actually be focusing on the side delt it's usually intended for - you actually need to lean forward at an angle slightly, or else front delts are helping more.

    Ditto's to only parallel or very slightly above, anything more starts engaging other muscles and above mentioned impingement issues. You could luck out with none, or totally be effected.

    Some science behind it.

    https://youtu.be/q5sNYB1Q6aM

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