I'm doing lateral raises wrong?

[captainavery]

I think I'm doing lateral raises wrong (and front raises). I've been working out for about 10 months but I don't think I've been seeing much shoulder progression. Currently I use 15.5KG (34.17lbs) on my shoulders but I don't actually reach the top of my shoulder line.

O___ < what they do
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O < what I end up doing
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I've been told to get muscle mass on shoulders you need to use a low amount of weight. But that confuses me because how do I progress my shoulders then if I always have to stay at a low weight? How much weight should I be using? What do I do if I feel like I need to use more weight? What is the max amount of weight I should use? Should I stop at a certain weight? So confused.

My workouts are around 3 hours long I don't want to spend lots of time adding more reps. I don't really do reps anyways. A 6 minute timer is what I feel comfortable with and has done good for me so far on other muscles. Also the only equipment I have is dumbbells so please don't talk about gym equipment, I'm not going to join a gym. Thanks for any replies though.

[EliKoehn]

Not intending this to be rude, but if you don't have any injuries to your shoulder and don't know how to do a lateral raise properly, there's no way a 3 hour workout is a good idea for you.

If someone recommended low weight to you in earnest, it was likely for the sake of learning form. Weight and volume correlate to determine intensity, and without overloading the stimulus via some combination of those two, over time, you won't force hypertrophy and your muscles will only remain adapted to the light workload.

That said, lateral raises are an important exercise with few good alternatives for what they target directly; but while they're important, the medial deltoid is still not priority number one when it comes to holistic training. I would not stop doing those, but what does the rest of your training look like? If you're relatively new, a productive workout would most likely not exceed 45 minutes.

[air2fakie]

No one talks about how much they lateral raise, it's a hi rep finisher, not the foundation of a program. From the description of your workout, it sounds like you should be doing a proper novice program even if you only use dbs.

And keep working on your stick figure artwork!

O___ < what they do
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O < what I end up doing
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[TolerantLactose]

My workouts are around 3 hours long I don't want to spend lots of time adding more reps. I don't really do reps anyways.

3 hours long is already far too long. More so for someone who's been training for 10 months. Revisit the entirety of what you're doing.

[jaxqen]

Now I know what I cannot do 15 kg db lateral raises
I am not training long enough, I need to up it up to 3 hours

OP, is this you?

[EliKoehn]

Now I know what I cannot do 15 kg db lateral raises
I am not training long enough, I need to up it up to 3 hours

OP, is this you?

Is 15KG supposed to be particularly heavy for these? I know you're kidding with the video upload since that's wrong on many different levels, but I think many people can do these relatively cleanly for at least five or so - I actually can. 40s for 5s starts to look a little iffy for me but I can do 35s in the 8ish range no problem. Is that even particularly unusual?

[paulinkansas]

Is 15KG supposed to be particularly heavy for these? I know you're kidding with the video upload since that's wrong on many different levels, but I think many people can do these relatively cleanly for at least five or so - I actually can. 40s for 5s starts to look a little iffy for me but I can do 35s in the 8ish range no problem. Is that even particularly unusual?

I do 15 or 20 pound dumb bells for 15 to 20 reps on lateral raises. Never tried a 35 or 40, but I'm better looking and have a better sense of humor than you.

[EliKoehn]

I do 15 or 20 pound dumb bells for 15 to 20 reps on lateral raises. Never tried a 35 or 40, but I'm better looking and have a better sense of humor than you.

Don't you have a bridge to go get under?

Or maybe a camera to set up there?

[paulinkansas]

Or maybe a camera to set up there?

It's going to be sour cream, Ramen noodles (in honor of Ghenghis Khan), and white trash cheese (Velveeta).

[EliKoehn]

It's going to be sour cream, Ramen noodles (in honor of Ghenghis Khan), and white trash cheese (Velveeta).

I'm going with Velveeta even if it's in the package.

[jademonkey]

35 lbs holy s*** your doing it wrong.

Pick up some 10s, keep your arms straight, and control the lift. Don't do those swinging 90 degree elbow, halfway up, BS that I see someone doing every time I go to the gym.

My go-to is 15s, slow and controlled. I like to do alternating lateral raise and rear delt raise also. Rear delts are harder, so I cheat a bit on those and go a bit slower on the lateral raise. Sometimes I grab 20s just for fun.

[MyEgoProblem]

Its just laterals...
Just do them how YOU feel them best.

That may be right out to the side
In the scapula plane
Stopping at parallel
Going lu raise full rom
Db
Cable
Machine

Find a weigh you can do 10-20 good reps and do a few sets innit.

Just do them and enjoy it bro. Who cares if you train 3 hours either?
Does it affect your life? If no. Keep going and enjoy it for now.
Is it ruining your school/work/relationship?... Better sort that.

It will all change as you advance and find what works for you anyway.

[jaxqen]

Is 15KG supposed to be particularly heavy for these? I know you're kidding with the video upload since that's wrong on many different levels, but I think many people can do these relatively cleanly for at least five or so - I actually can. 40s for 5s starts to look a little iffy for me but I can do 35s in the 8ish range no problem. Is that even particularly unusual?

For me, 15 kg would be too much for a strict movement or even with some momentum used.
Well, I never tried them in your rep range, but usually 10 kg would be the most in the 10-20 rep range for me.
And even 10 I find hard. 7 or 8 kg usually with short rests and some myo reps at the end.

But I'm a frail/feeble younger-than-Paul guy.
Also, usually I do them at the end, after workout + heavy bag, so there's my excuse for being frail/feeble.

So, yeah, I was shocked that OP could do them with 15, after 10 months of training, while saying that "I don't want to spend lots of time adding more reps" - meaning he already added more reps and he is in a high rep range.

I also like them Steve Shaw style, with one arm, bulldozer lateral raise, where you use momentum. There I could use 15 kg.

I do 15 or 20 pound dumb bells for 15 to 20 reps on lateral raises. Never tried a 35 or 40, but I'm better looking and have a better sense of humor than you.

Next thread on Nutrition should be "Who would you have breakfast by the pool with: Paul or Eli?"
Please wear clothes in the pics, don't go wild.
Please!

[intermedlift]

I think I'm doing lateral raises wrong (and front raises). I've been working out for about 10 months but I don't think I've been seeing much shoulder progression. Currently I use 15.5KG (34.17lbs) on my shoulders but I don't actually reach the top of my shoulder line.

O___ < what they do
|
^

O < what I end up doing
|\
^
I've been told to get muscle mass on shoulders you need to use a low amount of weight. But that confuses me because how do I progress my shoulders then if I always have to stay at a low weight? How much weight should I be using? What do I do if I feel like I need to use more weight? What is the max amount of weight I should use? Should I stop at a certain weight? So confused.

My workouts are around 3 hours long I don't want to spend lots of time adding more reps. I don't really do reps anyways. A 6 minute timer is what I feel comfortable with and has done good for me so far on other muscles. Also the only equipment I have is dumbbells so please don't talk about gym equipment, I'm not going to join a gym. Thanks for any replies though.

lower weight and try to get them arms higher

[EliKoehn]

For me, 15 kg would be too much for a strict movement or even with some momentum used.
Well, I never tried them in your rep range, but usually 10 kg would be the most in the 10-20 rep range for me.
And even 10 I find hard. 7 or 8 kg usually with short rests and some myo reps at the end.

But I'm a frail/feeble younger-than-Paul guy.
Also, usually I do them at the end, after workout + heavy bag, so there's my excuse for being frail/feeble.

So, yeah, I was shocked that OP could do them with 15, after 10 months of training, while saying that "I don't want to spend lots of time adding more reps" - meaning he already added more reps and he is in a high rep range.

I also like them Steve Shaw style, with one arm, bulldozer lateral raise, where you use momentum. There I could use 15 kg.





Next thread on Nutrition should be "Who would you have breakfast by the pool with: Paul or Eli?"
Please wear clothes in the pics, don't go wild.
Please!

I'm not at all a fan of the variation shown in the video, personally. To me it seems counterintuitive and kind of stupid to deliberately choose a heavy weight for what is often supposed to be a finisher, if you can only do it by launching it before the main arc of resistance happens. However, provided that the form is good, I don't see any reason why a heavier weight should be shunned; if someone can do clean lateral raises with heavier dumbbells, that just means better stimulus for the deltoids.

[MyEgoProblem]

Nothing beats meadows swings!
They are supra max bent over lateral partials.

Rip mountain dog

Those bs Steve Shaw cheat laterals are actually quite good if you fight the eccentrics. If not, don't bother.