side raises for shoulders

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As with any dumbbell exercise, form is key if you want to maximize your muscle building efforts and minimize the chance of injury. Don't use too much weight, if you can't do the exercise slowly then you need to go lighter. Count aloud "one onethousand, two onethousand, three onethousand" on the way up and the way down, if you cant do this on this exercise then you are using too much weight. The reason this exercise method maximizes your muscle growth is because it confines the motion to the muscle you are trying to work out, if your body squirms, swings, and kicks, all you are doing is taking the focus away from the muscle you are trying to exercise.

Shoulders are really easy to injure if you use improper form because the muscles are relatively small and the joint is complex.  Proper form is much more important than the weight you are lifting.  Some points to remember while doing side raises:

1. dont raise the dumbbells above your shoulders
2. go slow, try for 2 seconds up and 2 seconds down
3. keep the shoulders back, try to pinch the shoulder blades together
4. dont drop your elbows, keep them at exactly the same height at all times as the dumbbells
5. dont move any other part of your body in an attempt to help the weights up.  It helps to be seated to enforce this.