(this is harder than it looks...) Isolation exercises aren't just for bodybuilders. Lateral raises work your shoulders & rotator cuffs hard, making what's normally a small weak muscle into a strong, injury-resistant area. And of course it gives your shoulders some great definition ;) Yes you can and should train these progressively heavier too as long as your form is under control, like I demonstrate here. The trick is controlling the weights throughout the entire movement so only your shoulder is working - not swinging the dumbbells or your body just to get the weight up.