Are You Shrugging Your Shoulders During Lateral Raises Common Mistakes

Why Your Traps Are Stealing Your Shoulder Gains (And How to Stop It)

If you are shrugging your shoulders during lateral raises, it's one of the most common mistakes, and the fix is to cut your weight by 50% and think about pushing your hands *out* to the walls, not *up* to the ceiling. You're doing the exercise to build wider, rounder shoulders, but all you feel is a burning ache in your neck and upper back. It’s frustrating. You see people in the gym with cannonball delts, you're doing the same exercise, but you're just building bigger traps. The problem isn't that you're weak; it's that your body is too smart. When you try to lift a weight that's too heavy for your medial (side) deltoid to handle alone, your brain recruits the stronger, nearby muscle to help: the upper trapezius. This is the shrugging motion. Your traps are hijacking the movement. To stop this, you must check your ego at the door. If you're using 25-pound dumbbells, grab the 10s or 15s. The goal is no longer to lift heavy weight; it's to force the correct muscle to do 100% of the work. By drastically reducing the load and changing your mental cue from 'lift up' to 'push out,' you change the mechanics of the lift and give your side delts a chance to do their job without the traps taking over.

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The Hidden Reason Your Traps Fire First (It's Not Just Heavy Weight)

Everyone says shrugging comes from lifting too heavy, and that's true, but it's only half the story. The real reason your traps fire is because you are likely initiating the movement incorrectly. Your brain is wired to find the path of least resistance, and for most people, that path involves activating the powerful upper trapezius muscle. The medial deltoid's primary job is shoulder abduction-lifting your arm out to the side. The upper trap's job is to elevate your scapula-the shrugging motion. When you start a lateral raise, if the very first micro-movement is your shoulder blade lifting towards your ear, you've already lost. You've pre-activated the trap, telling it to be the primary mover. The entire set will be a battle you can't win. A perfect lateral raise keeps the scapula locked down and stable, forcing the deltoid to perform the abduction in isolation. Another critical mistake is range of motion. The medial deltoid does the vast majority of its work from when your arm is about 15 degrees out from your side up to 90 degrees (parallel to the floor). The moment you lift the dumbbell higher than your shoulder, the traps are biomechanically forced to engage to continue the movement. Lifting higher doesn't mean more gains; it just means more traps. So the formula is simple: initiate with the delt, not the trap, and stop at shoulder height. You now understand the mechanics: keep the scapula down, push out, and stop at 90 degrees. But knowing the theory and executing 12 perfect reps on your third set are two different things. How do you ensure your 12th rep is as good as your first? If you can't look back at your log and see perfect form notes next to a 2.5 lb increase, you're just guessing at progress.

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The 3-Step Fix for a Shrug-Free Lateral Raise

To permanently fix your form and start building the shoulders you want, you need to rebuild the movement pattern from the ground up. This isn't about just trying harder; it's about being smarter and more deliberate. Follow these three steps exactly, without skipping ahead. The weight you use will feel insultingly light. That is the point. We are retraining your nervous system, not just lifting a weight.

Step 1: The Setup (Depress and Lock)

Before you even think about lifting the weight, you must set your shoulders. Stand tall with your chest up and feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a very light pair of dumbbells, maybe 5-10 pounds for men and 5 pounds or less for women. Now, perform the opposite of a shrug: actively pull your shoulder blades down. Imagine you are trying to tuck them into the back pockets of your jeans. This is called scapular depression. You should feel tension in your lats and mid-back. This is your new, locked-in starting position. Do not let your shoulders rise from this position at any point during the set.

Step 2: The Execution (Push Out, Lead with Elbows)

With your shoulder blades locked down, slightly bend your elbows-about a 15-degree angle-and keep them rigid. Do not let this angle change. Now, initiate the lift with this mental cue: 'Push your hands out to the walls beside you.' Do not think 'lift up.' As you push out, focus on leading the movement with your elbows. Imagine a string is tied to your elbows, pulling them toward the ceiling. Your hands are just along for the ride. At the top of the movement, your hands, elbows, and shoulders should be in a straight line, parallel to the floor. Your pinky can be slightly higher than your thumb, as if you're pouring a pitcher of water, but don't over-rotate. Stop precisely when your arms are parallel to the floor (a 90-degree angle from your body). Going any higher is a direct invitation for your traps to take over.

Step 3: The Tempo and Progression

Control is everything. The biggest mistake people make after fixing their form is letting the weights crash down. You must control the negative (eccentric) portion of the rep. After reaching the top, lower the dumbbells slowly over 2 to 3 seconds. Feel the medial deltoid burn as it fights gravity. This controlled negative is where much of the muscle growth is stimulated. Your starting point is 3 sets of 12-15 perfect reps. If you feel your traps engage on rep 11, the set is over. The weight is too heavy. Only increase the weight when you can complete all prescribed sets and reps with zero shrugging and a controlled 2-second negative on every single rep. This might mean using the same 10-pound dumbbells for 3 straight weeks. That is not failure; that is progress. Perfecting the movement with 10 pounds is infinitely more effective than shrugging 30 pounds.

Your First 4 Weeks: Why Lighter Weight Will Build Bigger Shoulders

Dropping the weight and focusing on form feels like a step backward, but it's the only way to move forward. Here is what you should expect on this new journey to building better shoulders, and why it works.

Week 1: The Humbling Phase

You'll be using weights that feel like a warm-up, maybe 10 or 15 pounds. Your ego will take a hit. But for the first time, you will feel an intense, focused burn directly in your side delts. You might not even be able to finish 12 reps with perfect form. The day after, you'll be sore in a place you've never felt before. This is the signal that you are finally hitting the target muscle. This soreness is your first major victory.

Weeks 2-3: The Connection Phase

The movement will start to feel less awkward and more natural. The 'push out' cue will become second nature. You'll be able to complete 3 sets of 15 reps with perfect form, feeling the muscle work on every inch of every rep. This is the mind-muscle connection people talk about. You can now initiate the lift just by thinking about flexing your side delt. You are grooving a new, more effective motor pattern.

Weeks 4 and Beyond: The Growth Phase

Now, and only now, can you consider increasing the weight. Go up by the smallest increment possible, usually 2.5 pounds. Your goal is to lift this new weight while maintaining the exact same perfect form you mastered with the lighter weight. If you start shrugging, you moved up too soon. Drop back down. By building this foundation, you ensure that every pound you add from now on is contributing directly to shoulder growth, not trap growth. Your shoulders will begin to look visibly fuller and rounder because you've spent a month stimulating them correctly, accumulating hundreds of perfect reps instead of thousands of cheated ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Right Weight for Lateral Raises

Start with a weight you can lift for 15 perfect reps with a controlled 2-second lowering phase. For most men, this is 10-15 lbs. For most women, this is 5-8 lbs. Your ability to perform the movement without shrugging is the only indicator of the correct weight, not the number on the dumbbell.

Seated vs. Standing Lateral Raises

Seated raises are an excellent tool for learning the movement. By sitting on a bench, you eliminate the ability to use your legs or hips to generate momentum. This forces stricter form and better isolation of the deltoid. If you consistently find yourself using body English, switch to seated raises.

Hand and Elbow Position Details

Maintain a slight, soft bend in your elbow (around 15-20 degrees) and keep that angle locked throughout the entire lift. Do not row the weight or let your arms straighten out. Think of your arm as a solid lever, and your hand is just a hook holding the weight. The work is done by the shoulder.

Alternatives If Shrugging Persists

If you still struggle to disengage your traps, switch to single-arm cable lateral raises. Set the pulley at ankle height. The constant tension from the cable provides better feedback and can make it easier to feel the side delt working. Use your free hand to touch your trap to ensure it stays relaxed.

Frequency for Shoulder Growth

Train your shoulders twice per week for the best results. You can have one day focused on a heavy compound lift like the Overhead Press, and a second day dedicated to higher-volume isolation work, including 3-4 sets of 12-15 perfect-form lateral raises.