The dumbbell full can lateral raise is a shoulder exercise that targets the deltoids and also engages the traps and rotator cuff. It involves raising dumbbells to the sides with a slight bend in the elbows, mimicking the motion of pouring from a can, which helps reduce shoulder impingement risk.
Also Works
TrapsRotator Cuff
How to Perform
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
2
Keep your back straight and engage your core.
3
Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the ground.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Raise the dumbbells at a 30-degree angle in front of your body (between a front raise and a Lateral Raise), with your thumbs pointing upward like you are pouring a can upward.
•The full can position (thumbs up) is safer for the shoulder than the empty can position (thumbs down) because it reduces subacromial impingement.
•Raise to shoulder height and pause for one second before lowering with control.
Common Mistakes
•Raising directly to the side like a standard Lateral Raise instead of at a 30-degree forward angle, which changes the target muscles.
•Using the empty can position (thumbs down), which increases shoulder impingement risk significantly.
•Shrugging the shoulders during the raise, which recruits the upper traps instead of the supraspinatus and deltoid.