Take it slowly

They may look straightforward, but plenty can go wrong with a lateral raise if you don’t get your technique quite right. So keep your reps nice and slow. Lateral raises are all about engaging those key muscles and controlling the movement from your shoulders, which you can only do if you take your time.

Push, don’t pull

“Avoid trying to ‘pull’ the weight up as that will use your lat muscles in the back rather than your shoulder muscles” says fitness trainer Alice Rose-Miller.

“Think about your shoulders pushing the weight and keeping your shoulders back and down.”

Be careful choosing your weights

Lateral raises are tricky, and they get notably more difficult with each rep. Choose a weight that’s lighter than you would expect to use for shoulder workouts to avoid injury and work through a full range of motion.

When to avoid lateral raises

“It is important to avoid lateral raises if you have a shoulder injury,” says Emma Obayuvana, because of the potential for overworking your delicate deltoid muscles.

Strength training: how to do a lateral raise correctly, according to a fitness trainer