Understand your lateral deltoids
If your goal is wider shoulders, you need lateral shoulder exercises in your routine. These movements target your lateral deltoids, also called side delts, which are responsible for lifting your arm out to the side (shoulder abduction) and helping rotate the shoulder joint.
When your side delts grow, they add width to your upper body and contribute to that classic V shape. They also help stabilize your shoulders, support overhead movements, and improve posture in everyday life.
What your side delts actually do
Your lateral delts are involved whenever you:
- Lift your arms out to your sides
- Stabilize your shoulders during presses and rows
- Control arm movement when you carry bags or reach overhead
Even if you already do overhead presses, rows, and pulldowns, your side delts need direct work if you want noticeably broader shoulders.
Learn the form basics first
Before you think about heavy weights, lock in safe and effective technique. Many shoulder aches come from small form mistakes, especially in lateral raises.
Posture that protects your shoulders
For almost all lateral shoulder exercises, you want:
- Chest up, shoulders down and slightly back
- Neutral spine, no excessive arching
- Slight bend in your elbows, not locked out
- Core lightly braced for balance
This helps your lateral delts do the work while your traps, neck, and lower back stay quiet.
The safest hand and arm position
How you hold your hands matters for shoulder health. According to the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute, doing lateral raises with your thumbs pointed down can compress the rotator cuff against the shoulder joint, which increases injury risk. They recommend a “thumbs up” or neutral position to avoid pinching and reduce the chance of tendonitis.
Use these cues:
- Keep your thumbs slightly higher than your pinkies
- Do not twist your hands into a full “pouring the pitcher” position
- Lift by leading with your elbows, not your hands
This puts more tension on your side delts and less stress on your shoulder joints.
Master the key lateral shoulder exercises
The core of your “wider shoulders” plan will be a few simple movements done very well. Below are the main lateral shoulder exercises and how to get the most from each.
Dumbbell lateral raise
The dumbbell lateral raise is the classic exercise for building wider shoulders and targeting the lateral delts.
How to do it
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows and relax your shoulders down.
- Raise your arms out to your sides until your hands reach about shoulder height.
- Pause briefly, then lower under control back to the starting position.
Key form notes from Muscle & Strength:
- Do not lift your wrists higher than your elbows
- Do not raise above shoulder level, going higher shifts work away from the side delts and increases joint stress
- Focus on raising from your elbows so your shoulders, not your forearms, drive the movement
Helpful tweaks
- Start light so you can move slowly and stay in control
- Use a 2 to 3 second lift and 3 to 5 second lower if you feel any clicking or discomfort in your shoulders
- If grip is an issue, you can use lifting straps, although this is not common with dumbbells
A 2024 guide notes that this slower tempo can keep tension on the muscles while reducing stress on the joints.
Cable or machine lateral raise
Cable and machine variations keep constant tension on the side delts, which is ideal when you want a focused pump and a strong mind‑muscle connection.
Benefits from recent fitness guidance:
- Easier to hold a 1 to 2 second squeeze at the top
- Smoother resistance through the whole range of motion
- Less need to balance, so you can focus fully on your shoulders
Use the same form as the dumbbell version. Keep your thumbs slightly higher than your pinkies to avoid compressing the rotator cuff.
Single‑arm cable lateral raise (from behind)
A single‑arm cable lateral raise that starts slightly behind your back can give your side delt a very intense contraction. You stand sideways to the cable, let the handle rest just behind your hip, then lift out to the side.
Why it is useful:
- Forces the lateral delt to initiate the movement
- Prevents you from swinging both arms together
- Increases time under tension on each shoulder individually
Keep your chest up, shoulders down, and avoid twisting your torso.
Abduction row
The Abduction Row is a hybrid move that lets you safely use heavier weights while still hammering the lateral delts.
How it works
The Abduction Row combines a rowing motion with abduction:
- Hold one heavy dumbbell and brace your non‑working hand on a bench for support.
- Start with the weight hanging under your shoulder.
- Pull your elbow out and up to the side, not straight back like a normal row.
- Stop around shoulder height, then lower with control.
Research notes that this variation heavily engages the middle delts with minimal help from the lats and rear delts. It lets you overload the side delts without as much strain on your joints.
Upright row variations
Barbell upright rows can target the lateral delts if you use a moderate grip and raise your elbows only to about shoulder level. However, they can bother some shoulders.
If you use them:
- Keep the bar close to your body
- Do not pull your elbows excessively high
- Stop the bar around lower chest or upper ribs
If you feel pinching, stick to lateral raises and the Abduction Row, which tend to be more shoulder friendly.
Avoid common side delt mistakes
Small tweaks often make the difference between just going through the motions and actually building wider shoulders.
Mistakes that reduce delt activation
Common problems include:
- Swinging the weights with momentum
- Leaning your torso to “help” the lift
- Shrugging your shoulders so the traps take over
- Turning the exercise into an external rotation instead of pure abduction
These habits shift work away from the side delts and increase injury risk.
Instead, follow this simple checklist for lateral raises:
- Stand or sit tall, no leaning
- Keep your shoulders low and relaxed
- Pause briefly at the top instead of bouncing
- Stop at or just below shoulder height
A 2025 Muscle & Fitness guide emphasizes staying controlled and avoiding momentum for better muscle tension and growth.
Thumb position and shoulder safety
The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute points out that “thumbs down” lateral raises can pinch the rotator cuff and may lead to tendonitis or other shoulder issues. They suggest using a “thumbs up” angle to keep the shoulder joint in a safer position.
Think “pour nothing.” Slightly rotate your thumbs up rather than feeling like you are pouring out a bottle.
Train with smart sets, reps, and weight
You can organize your lateral shoulder exercises in different ways depending on your experience and recovery, but a few principles show up consistently in recent training guidance.
Use a mix of rep ranges
Side delts respond well to a variety of rep ranges:
- Heavy: 5 to 10 reps
- Moderate: 10 to 20 reps
- Light: 20 to 30 reps
Many lifters find the moderate range of 10 to 20 reps offers the best balance between stimulus and fatigue. The higher 20 to 30 rep range can also be very effective for building a strong pump in such a small muscle. Very heavy sets in the 5 to 10 rep range are usually more stressful and may not be necessary for most people.
You can structure your week like this:
- Early in the workout: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 on heavier moves like the Abduction Row
- Later in the workout: 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 on lateral raises or cables
- Optional: high‑rep finisher of 1 to 2 sets of 20 to 30 with a very light weight
Choose the right weight
For side delt work, quality of contraction matters more than the number on the dumbbell. Based on recommendations from Muscle & Strength:
- Start with light dumbbells and build up only when your form is solid
- Pick the heaviest weight that lets you complete all reps without swinging
- If your form breaks down, the weight is too heavy
Cluster sets, where you do short mini‑sets with quick rests, can help you push hard without losing form if you only have access to limited dumbbell weights.
Rest long enough to recover
Side delt work feels small, but it still taxes your nervous system, especially heavier variations.
Research‑based guidelines:
- For demanding movements like barbell upright rows, rest about 1 to 2 minutes between sets
- For less taxing moves like machine lateral raises, rest can be shorter, in some cases even under 15 seconds, particularly if you are just chasing a pump
Aim to start each set feeling “very ready” rather than rushing just to stay busy.
Plan your weekly shoulder training
You will see the best results if you treat your lateral delts like any other muscle group: give them focused work plus enough recovery.
How often to train lateral delts
There are a few different approaches in the research:
- Some guidance suggests isolating side delts no more than twice per week, since they are already involved in presses and other compound lifts
- Other programming models show that many people can handle 3 to 6 lateral delt sessions per week if total volume and exercise selection are managed carefully
A practical way to start is:
- Begin with 2 sessions per week that include lateral shoulder exercises.
- See how your shoulders feel and how well you recover for 3 to 4 weeks.
- If you feel fresh and want faster progress, you can add a third session that uses lighter, less fatiguing variations like cables or machines.
If you decide to move toward higher frequency, it is smart to:
- Start a training block with lower volume and about 2 sessions per week
- Gradually increase sets and frequency
- Swap in easier variations like machine side laterals as frequency climbs
This helps you avoid overuse while still moving toward wider, stronger shoulders.
How many exercises and sets to do
Because the side delts are small and fatigue quickly, more is not always better.
Current recommendations include:
- In one workout: 1 to 2 different side delt exercises
- Over a week: 2 to 5 different exercises total for variety
That means in a single shoulder or upper body session you might do:
- 1 primary movement: Abduction Row or upright row
- 1 isolation move: dumbbell or cable lateral raises
Total weekly volume between your Minimum Effective Volume and Maximum Recoverable Volume will depend on your experience, recovery, and how much compound pressing you do.
Sample routines you can follow
You can plug lateral shoulder exercises into many different workout styles. Use the examples below as templates and adjust sets and reps to your level.
Beginner: 2‑day per week side delt focus
Add these to two upper body days:
Day A
- Overhead press: 3 sets of 8 to 10
- Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 12 to 15
- Light cable or machine lateral raise: 2 sets of 20 to 25
Day B
- Row variation: 3 sets of 8 to 12
- Abduction Row: 3 sets of 8 to 12
- Dumbbell lateral raise: 2 sets of 12 to 20
Focus on slow, controlled reps and a strong mind‑muscle connection.
Intermediate: 3‑day delts with variety
Day 1: Heavier focus
- Abduction Row: 3 sets of 8 to 10
- Standing dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 10 to 15
Day 2: Pump and control
- Single‑arm cable lateral raise (from behind): 3 sets of 12 to 20 per arm
- Machine lateral raise with 1 to 2 second hold at the top: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20
Day 3: Mixed
- Overhead press: 3 sets of 6 to 8
- Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 12 to 15
- Optional finisher: very light lateral raises, 1 to 2 sets of 25 to 30
If your shoulders feel beaten up, reduce set count or drop one isolation exercise and see if recovery improves.
Keep your shoulders healthy long term
Building wider shoulders only matters if they stay strong and pain free. A few habits can help protect your joints while you push for growth.
Respect discomfort signals
If you notice:
- Sharp pinching at the top of a raise
- Clicking that gets worse as you increase weight
- Pain that lingers between workouts
Dial back the load, slow down your tempo, and try single‑arm versions with a controlled range of motion. Muscle & Strength suggests using a very slow 2 to 3 second up and 4 to 5 second down tempo with lighter weights to maintain tension while minimizing joint stress.
If that does not help, it is worth checking in with a qualified medical professional.
Strengthen support muscles
The 2024 and 2025 resources emphasize that healthy shoulders also depend on:
- Strong mid and lower traps
- Balanced rotator cuff strength
- Stable shoulder blades
Exercises like properly performed rows and front lat pulldowns can strengthen these areas without pinching the rotator cuff. Combined with correct lateral raise form, they help prevent common issues like shoulder tendonitis.
Put it all together
To use lateral shoulder exercises effectively for wider shoulders, you want to:
- Target your lateral delts with focused movements like dumbbell, cable, and machine lateral raises
- Add heavier options such as the Abduction Row without sacrificing form
- Avoid common mistakes like swinging, shrugging, and thumbs‑down hand positions
- Use a mix of rep ranges, from moderate to high, and rest enough between sets to perform well
- Train side delts 2 or more times per week with 1 to 2 exercises per session, adjusting volume to your recovery
Start by adding one or two of these exercises to your next upper body workout. Pay attention to how your shoulders feel, stay patient with the weights you choose, and build from there. With consistent, smart training, your side delts will grow, and your shoulders will gradually look broader in every shirt you own.
About the Author
