How to Do
How to Do Standing Lateral Raise With Twist
The standing lateral raise with twist should begin with a good posture to avoid injury. Brace the spine by drawing your lower abdomen inward. Your core muscles should be activated to support your posture as you perform the exercise.
If any pain is experienced, immediately stop the standing lateral raise with twist.
Beginning
Beginning Standing Lateral Raise
1. Throughout this exercise, keep your elbows slightly bent.
2. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and slightly bent knees.
3. Holding a dumbbell in each hand and resting your arms beside your body is a good way to start.
4. As you tilt forward at your hips, lengthen your spine and engage your core.
Movement
Standing Lateral Raise Movement
1. Begin the exercise at a shoulder-width stance with dumbbells in your hands and arms hanging down at your sides. You can select relatively lightweight dumbbells, approximately half of what you use during the more traditional lateral raises.
2. Make your head is aligned with your shoulders, hips, and knees. Bring your shoulder blades back and down, and tighten up your abdominals to support the spine.
3. Dip your knees into a small squat, then as you stand, use the momentum to help you raise your arms to shoulder level, perpendicular to your torso. Your elbows should be extended.
4. As you bring the weight back down, rotate your torso and simultaneously swing the dumbbells around the body. During this, one dumbbell will be in front of the body and one behind. To ensure that you don't twist too much, pay attention to your body's alignment. Make sure that only your torso twists, and that your head remains in line with your shoulders, hips, and knees throughout the twist.
5. As you untwist use the momentum from the swing to raise your arms out to the side again, at shoulder level. Twist to the other side, and alternate until the required repetitions are completed.
Benefits
Standing Lateral Raise Benefits
Perform this exercise at home or in the gym.
This exercise works the shoulders, core muscles, and obliques.
A variation on the lateral raise, this move brings in the rotation of the torso, which works core muscles, abdominals, and the obliques muscles at the side of the abdominals.
