Cable lateral raises are a cornerstone train for constructing well-balanced and robust shoulders.

They’re one of many few workouts that emphasize the “facet delts,” the a part of your shoulder muscle tissues most liable for broadening your higher physique.

On this skilled information, you’ll be taught what the cable lateral elevate is, learn how to do it with correct kind, which muscle tissues it really works, tips about learn how to get probably the most out of the train, the most effective alternate options and variations, and extra. 

What Is the Cable Lateral Increase?

The cable lateral elevate is a shoulder train involving a pulley machine. 

It’s just like the dumbbell facet lateral elevate, besides you utilize a cable as a substitute of a dumbbell and sometimes practice every arm independently (which is why many discuss with it because the “single-arm cable lateral elevate”).

The primary advantages of performing lateral raises on a cable machine are that they emphasize your lateral deltoids (“facet delts”), the sections of your shoulder muscle tissues that contribute most to shoulder width.

Moreover, in contrast to dumbbells, utilizing the cable machine for lateral raises gives fixed rigidity all through the complete vary of movement. This fixed rigidity stimulates your muscle tissues in another way than free weights, which seemingly advantages muscle development.

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Do the Single-Arm Cable Lateral Increase

To grasp the lateral elevate on a cable machine, break up the train into three components: arrange, elevate, and descend.


Cable Side Lateral Raise before and after


1. Arrange

Set the pulley on a cable machine to the bottom setting and fix a single deal with attachment. 

Stand along with your ft both touching or shoulder-width aside, parallel to the deal with, and your proper foot nearer to the deal with than your left. 

Seize the deal with along with your left hand and the pulley machine along with your proper hand (most individuals favor to seize the metallic column that holds the pulleys), then lean your physique to the left till your proper arm totally extends.

2. Increase

Whereas conserving your again straight and your core tight and sustaining a impartial grip (thumbs pointing ahead) with a slight bend in your elbow, drive your elbow out and up. 

Don’t elevate your arm immediately out to your facet; as a substitute let it transfer ahead about 15-to-30 levels (in case you think about a clock face, your left arm ought to be between 9 and 10 when considered from above). Proceed elevating the deal with till your higher arm is parallel to the ground.

3. Descend

Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place. This could mirror what you probably did through the elevate. 

Muscle groups Labored by Cable Lateral Raises

The primary muscle tissues labored by the single-arm cable lateral elevate are the deltoids, or “shoulder muscle tissues.” 

Right here’s how these muscle tissues look in your physique:

Muscles Worked by Cable Lateral Raises

Though single-arm cable lateral raises practice your posterior and anterior deltoid, they’re significantly efficient at concentrating on the lateral deltoid (therefore the title).

Additionally they practice your traps and rotator cuff muscle tissues to a lesser extent.

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Cable Lateral Increase Suggestions

1. Experiment along with your arm angle. 

When performing the cable lateral elevate, most individuals discover permitting their higher arms to maneuver ahead by 15-to-30 levels most snug. Nevertheless, this way received’t go well with everybody. 

Should you discover it uncomfortable or don’t really feel your facet delts working, attempt adjusting the angle of your arms relative to your torso as you elevate the load. 

Experiment with lifting your arms straight out to the perimeters or barely extra ahead, however keep away from going additional ahead than 45 levels, as this may place much less emphasis in your facet delts, negating the advantages of the train. 

Some discover lateral raises with cables awkward as a result of they contain pulling the cable throughout your physique. 

In case your legs impede the motion, adjusting your foot place may also help. As an example, you’ll be able to place the foot closest to the machine barely again and the foot additional away barely ahead, creating a spot for the cable to go by. 

Alternatively, stepping ahead with each ft and permitting the cable to go behind your legs will also be efficient.

3. Experiment along with your physique angle.

Analysis exhibits that the supraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle) is most energetic through the starting of the lateral elevate, whereas the facet delt turns into extra concerned between the center and the top of the vary of movement. Thus, leaning away from the cable machine may also help emphasize the facet delts.

How far you lean away from the machine will depend on private choice, shoulder mobility, consolation, and so forth, so play along with your lean angle to discover a place that works finest for you.

The Finest Cable Lateral Increase Options & Variations

1. Dumbbell Lateral Increase

The dumbbell lateral elevate is an efficient dumbbell train for coaching the facet delts, making it a wonderful various to the cable variation in case you don’t have entry to a pulley machine

  1. Get up straight with a dumbbell in every hand. 
  2. Increase your arms out to the perimeters till your higher arms are parallel to the ground.
  3. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

2. Twin Cable Lateral Increase

The twin cable lateral elevate trains each side of your physique concurrently, saving time in comparison with the single-arm variation. Nevertheless, it additionally entails a barely shorter vary of movement, as you’ll be able to’t lean away from the machine and your fingers cross in entrance of you, which can barely restrict muscle development in comparison with the common model. 

  1. Place your self within the middle of a cable crossover machine.
  2. Seize the deal with nearest your proper foot along with your left hand and the deal with nearest your left foot along with your proper hand, permitting your arms to cross in entrance of your physique.
  3. Increase your arms out to the perimeters till your higher arms are parallel to the ground.
  4. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

3. Machine Lateral Increase

The primary advantage of machine lateral raises is that the load rests in your forearms or higher arms as a substitute of being in your fingers. This makes machine lateral raises extra snug for many individuals, particularly in case you have elbow points. 

  1. Sit on the lateral elevate machine seat, seize the handles, and place your forearms (or higher arms, relying on the machine) in opposition to the pads. 
  2. Increase the arm pads towards the ceiling by pushing your forearms into the pads till your higher arms are parallel to the ground. 
  3. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.