Lateral raise
Machine lateral raise
Works
Also works
Equipment
How to do it
- Sit in the machine with your elbows under the pads.
- Keep your torso upright and your back against the pad.
- Raise your elbows out to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
- Squeeze the side delt at the top without shrugging the traps.
- Lower under control to the starting position.
Common mistakes
- Pushing with the hands instead of the elbows
- Shrugging the shoulders on the way up
- Letting the weight drop quickly
What the evidence says
Eight weeks of lateral raises to failure, one implement per arm and range of motion matched: dumbbell and cable produced the same lateral deltoid growth (3.3%–4.6%), with "extreme" statistical support for no difference. Use whatever is free; the cable's resistance profile bought nothing here.
Larsen S, Wolf M, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. «Dumbbell versus cable lateral raises for lateral deltoid hypertrophy: an experimental study». Frontiers in Physiology, 2025. View the study
Ten weeks of bench press training, measured by MRI: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid and triceps all grew more than the control group, but the medial deltoid did not — every other muscle grew more than it did. The lateral deltoid isn't trained as a by-product of pressing: it needs its own work.
Lanza MB, Prado GC, Lacerda LT, et al. «Muscle hypertrophy response across four muscles involved in the bench press exercise: Randomized 10 weeks training intervention». Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2024. View the study
What isn't settled: Everything debated about lateral raise technique is unmeasured. No study compares full range vs partials in the lateral raise, thumbs-down vs thumbs-up, the leaning version vs standing, or where to stop the arc. Dumbbell and cable tying is proven; the rest of the gym's rules are not.
Other variations
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