Lateral Raise Form Check
Wondering if your lateral raise is solid? Prop up your phone — GOODREPS watches your shoulder angle (hip → shoulder → wrist) live and scores every rep while you train your shoulders. Free in your browser today; coming to Google Play and the App Store.
Coming to Google Play & the App Store▶ Try The Form Check
LIVEHOW TO DO A PROPER LATERAL RAISE
Setup Stand facing the camera, weights at your sides, a slight bend in your elbows.
- Raise both arms out to the sides up to shoulder height.
- Lead with your elbows, palms down.
- Lower slowly — no swinging.
Same sheet as the ⓘ panel in the app — animated demo included.
THREE STEPS TO A SCORED LATERAL RAISE
Prop your phone and get in frame
Phone at roughly torso height, stand facing the camera. A quick camera test checks lighting, distance, and angle before you start.
The camera locks a 17-point skeleton on you
GOODREPS measures your shoulder angle (hip → shoulder → wrist) on-device — no wearables. Light dumbbells go a surprisingly long way here — log the weight, track PRs.
Move — and watch the form bar
The bar fills from ~18° toward ~65° at the bottom. Cut range short and it tells you; full ROM is what counts.
WHAT THE CAMERA WATCHES
- Your arm angle from your side, live — from roughly 18° at rest up toward 65° at shoulder height. Tiny pulses don't bank; full raises do.
- Your personal range of motion — after 3 clean reps the counter calibrates to your shoulders, so it stays honest without being unfair.
- Whether you actually get there — stall below the line and the form cue says it plainly: "Raise to shoulder height."
COMMON LATERAL RAISE MISTAKES
Going too heavy
The fastest way to turn a shoulder exercise into a trap-and-momentum exercise. Drop the weight until the raise is smooth and quiet.
Shrugging into the raise
If your shoulders climb toward your ears, your traps are stealing the rep. Keep them pulled down and let the delts lift.
Swinging from the hips
A little body-English on the way up means the weight is doing the falling and you're doing the cheating. Slight elbow bend, strict tempo.
Raising past shoulder height
Higher isn't better — above parallel the load shifts off the side delts. Stop at shoulder height, pause a beat, lower slow.
PRIVATE BY DESIGN
Pose detection runs in your browser via TensorFlow.js. Camera frames are analyzed in real time and immediately discarded — nothing is recorded, nothing leaves your phone, and we never see them. Sign-in is optional; skip it and everything stays local.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
What weight should I use for lateral raises?
Lighter than you think — most people do their cleanest raises with 5–15 lb dumbbells. Log whatever you use and the app tracks your PRs as you progress.
Does it work in a home gym or low light?
Run the built-in camera test first — it checks your lighting, distance, and angle with live green checks before you start. If a rep still slips through, manual counting is always one tap away.
Is my camera feed uploaded anywhere?
No. Pose detection runs entirely on your phone, in your browser. Frames are analyzed in real time and immediately discarded — nothing is recorded, nothing is uploaded.
RELATED GUIDES
Free forever — camera counting for all 60 exercises, no account needed. Pro (voice coaching, programs, depth-camera form checks) is $7/mo, $49/yr, or $99 once. No ads, ever.