How to Do Bent Arm Laterals
You need big shoulders to muscle your way through a crowded bar, a crowded bus, or a crowded boutique—this deltoid exercise will get you to the front of the line in no time.
Up next in Weight Training Exercises (10 videos)
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You Will Need
- Two lightweight dumbbells between 5 and 15 pounds
- A bench or chair
- Workout clothes
- A Swiss ball (also called a physio ball)
Steps
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Step 1
Sit on edge of bench
Sit on the edge of a bench with your knees and feet together.
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To add a degree of difficulty and involve more torso muscles, sit on a Swiss ball while doing this lift.
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Step 2
Grasp dumbbells & position elbows
Grasp the dumbbells and position your elbows at a 90-degree angle, palms facing each other.
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Step 3
Lift elbows
Slowly lift your elbows away from your torso until they reach shoulder height, so that your palms now face the floor.
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Keep your torso ramrod straight—it focuses the lift on your shoulders, so you don’t use any back muscles to assist the movement.
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Step 4
Lower elbows
Slowly lower your elbows to your side.
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Step 5
Repeat
Repeat. Keep it up, and you’ll be pushing those shoulders through crowds in no time!
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This exercise is also called 'beer cans,' because the motion of your arms mimics that of pouring beer out of a can.
