Machine lateral raise for shoulders

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Adjust the seat so the pads line up with the middle of your arms, just above the elbows.
2. Sit with your back firmly against the pad, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
3. Press the outside of your arms against the pads or levers made for the lateral raise.
4. Pick a light weight on the stack with the pin to start; you can go up from there.
5. Lift your chest slightly, bring your shoulders a bit back, and look straight ahead.

How to do it

1. Sit upright with your back on the pad, hands relaxed or on the handles if your machine has them.
2. Start with your arms down by your sides, elbows slightly bent, shoulders low and relaxed.
3. Inhale, then raise your arms out to the sides by pushing against the pads until they reach about shoulder height, without shrugging your shoulders.
4. Pause for a brief second at the top, keeping control with no bouncing or jerking.
5. Lower the arms back down slowly in 2 to 3 seconds, returning to the start position while keeping tension in your shoulders.
6. Repeat with the same rhythm, keeping your torso still against the backrest for the whole set.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the arms too high

  Instead : Stop the lift when your arms are around shoulder height. Going much higher often pulls more on the joints instead of keeping the work where you want it in the shoulder.

• Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears

  Instead : Think about keeping your shoulders down and heavy. Before each rep, set them down a bit, then move only your arms, not your shoulders.

• Using too much body swing

  Instead : Keep your back on the pad and brace your core lightly. If you need to lean or swing to get the weight up, lower the load and focus on a smooth, strict motion.

• Dropping too fast on the way down

  Instead : Control the lowering phase for 2 to 3 seconds. If the weight drops at the bottom, it’s too heavy or you’re rushing the movement.

Coach tips

• Add a short pause at the top (about half a second to a second) to really feel your shoulders working, without holding your breath.
• Breathe out as you raise the arms, breathe in as you lower them. Keep your breathing steady so you don’t tense up too much.
• If your shoulders fatigue fast, start very light and focus on clean reps before thinking about heavier loads.
• You can take advantage of the weight stack to do drop sets, taking out a bit of weight and going again right away, as long as your form stays solid.

Variations

• Use a slightly shorter range of motion if you feel too much discomfort at the very bottom or top, and stay mostly in the range that feels okay for your shoulders.
• You can do a set focusing more on the lowering phase, going slower on the way down to increase control.
• Some people feel more stable with their elbows a bit more bent; you can adjust the angle to what feels comfortable for your shoulder.

Exercises on this machine

• Machine lateral raiseShoulders

Machine taken? Try instead

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• Rear deltoid flyShoulders · Back

Common questions