The lateral cable raise is a machine-based exercise to build up shoulder muscles. It targets the middle or medial delt, but can also be done unilaterally for greater focus on one side.
To perform this exercise, attach a handle to a cable pulley at its lowest point and stand with feet approximately shoulder-width apart; reach across your body using an neutral grip towards the cable pulley and reach for it across your body with your arms extended out in front.
One-Arm Cable Lateral Raise
The one-arm cable lateral raise is an effective and straightforward machine-based shoulder exercise, similar to its bilateral version. Like its bilateral version, this one-arm lateral raise targets both the lateral head and traps/upper back of your shoulders as well as strengthening them both simultaneously. Since this exercise requires isolated movements (isolations are best), typically performed between 8-12 reps per set as part of a shoulders/upper body focused workout allowing maximum results when it comes to shaping/increasing size/sculpting shoulders/increasing size/sculpting/sculpting them/increasing their overall size/sculpting/sculpting your shoulders/increasing overall size/sculpting. Furthermore, cable lateral raise also balances left and right sides of your body for improved symmetry within your upper body!
To perform the one-arm cable lateral raise, set the pulley to its lowest setting and attach a handle. Stand with your side that needs work facing away from the pulley and hold onto its handle with both hands while square your shoulders against your back while pushing chest forward with every movement of your arm. For added support you may hold onto its tower with non-working arm or simply leave it hanging nearby.
Hold the movement for 1-5 seconds as you raise your arm up towards its peak of movement, then lower back down slowly back towards its starting point. Once held for the appropriate amount of time, lower your arm back down slowly back towards where you began.
This exercise may not be particularly strenuous, but success depends on using appropriate weights with proper form. Lift too much weight or swing your arms; doing either could lead to shoulder injuries. Choose a weight you can lift without momentum and be sure to exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower it to help control your form.
Two-Arm Cable Lateral Raise
Cable lateral raises are an effective shoulder exercise that not only strengthen the rear deltoids and middle traps but also work the rear deltoid muscles and middle traps. They make an ideal addition to push exercises or upper body workouts as lateral raises strengthen rotator cuff strength and stability, which prevents injuries as well as improves efficiency of other lifts like barbell overhead presses.
One of the many great aspects of cable lateral raises is their versatility; you can perform them either bilaterally (both arms at once) or unilaterally, activating more muscle fibers than doing bilateral versions of this exercise. Unilateral training has proven more effective at activating muscles than bilateral ones and should be prioritized when seeking to create larger shoulder impact in their workouts.
Two-arm variations of the lateral raise offer significant advantages when used correctly, namely an even distribution of tension across your shoulders as you progress through its range of motion. This makes targeting your lateral deltoid muscles simpler, helping bodybuilders and athletes alike create that desirable “v-tapered look.”
Correctly executed, both shoulders should become fatigued by the end of your sets. If either your neck or back start feeling sore during or after, this could be a telltale sign that you’re lifting too much weight; to reduce loads accordingly. Also make sure your head remains neutral during lateral raise exercises to avoid strain on either side of your neck.
If you don’t have access to a pulley machine at home or your gym, another effective and challenging exercise that targets shoulders would be to stand next to a row of dumbbells and use one arm for gripping them all at the same time. This provides a similar workout while still engaging all areas of your shoulder muscle group.
Another popular variation of the lateral raise involves performing it while standing behind yourself, enabling for better pre-stretch and more controlled movement. Unfortunately, however, this variation doesn’t do as good a job of stimulating either your medial or lateral deltoid muscle as its regular version would.
Single-Arm Cable Lateral Raise
As its name implies, single-arm cable lateral raises are designed to work one arm at a time while still engaging the shoulder muscles simultaneously. They’re often included as part of an upper body workout dedicated to shoulder health; high reps may be performed. Furthermore, it is an effective exercise for increasing shoulder roundness while simultaneously narrowing width. Furthermore, it’s an ideal alternative to dumbbell lateral raises which may involve too much movement that may result in an imbalance within your shoulders.
This movement is ideal for targeting the medial head of the deltoids, an often neglected muscle responsible for arm abduction that tends to get overlooked during training programs. A well-defined medial head is often considered an ideal trait of shoulders in both bodybuilders and fitness models as it creates an aesthetic balance when seen from any side.
Start this exercise by choosing an appropriate weight for your current strength levels. Stand near a cable machine with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, right hand on lower pulley and left hand behind back as support, raising cable across chest until shoulder height, pausing at peak to maximize contraction in shoulders before gradually lowering to initial position across body for reps. Repeat on other arm as desired before switching sides.
If you want to up the intensity of this movement, hold it at its peak contraction for 3-7 seconds at its height – this increases the amount of time your deltoids spend under tension, leading to greater muscle growth. Furthermore, perform your reps slowly in order to avoid momentum that may cause dangerous imbalances and potentially lead to injury; make sure you squeeze your shoulders at its height when performing reps for maximum muscle stimulation and hypertrophy.
