03/09/2026
A common mistake with lateral raises is letting your shoulders shrug up toward your ears as you lift the weight.
When that happens, your traps start helping more and take some of the tension away from the side delts you’re trying to target.
Your side delts are still working, but now they’re sharing the load with your traps.
Instead, keep your shoulders down and away from your ears throughout the movement.
It’s a small adjustment, but it can make the same weight feel much harder and keep more of the tension where you want it.
If your traps always feel more fatigued than your side delts after lateral raises, this could be why.
Set your shoulders down before the first rep and try to maintain that position throughout the set.
