Lever Lateral Raise

Lateral raises (also called side raises) are primarily performed to place more emphasis on the middle head of the deltoid (shoulder muscle).

In addition to the deltoid itself, various muscles around the shoulder joint are recruited to stabilize it. These include smaller stabilizing muscles such as the four muscles of the rotator cuff, as well as the larger trapezius, which elevates the shoulder joint.

In the arms, the biceps and triceps help stabilize the position of the forearm relative to the upper arm. The muscles in the forearms then stabilize the wrist joint to control the dumbbells or barbell.

In this variation, lateral raises are performed using a machine that allows you to focus more on the upper arms.

Lever lateral raise execution

1
Push your elbows outward and upward. Keep the rest of your body as still as possible.
2
Finish at the height just before your shoulders feel pinched. Keep your elbows slightly below shoulder height.
3
Hold the weight here for 1–2 counts.
4
Lower your arms in a controlled manner over 2–3 counts until you feel that there is no more resistance.
5
Repeat.

Lever lateral raise

Muscles involved:

Shoulder joint:

Deltoid (all heads)

Rotator cuff (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor)

Trapezius

Levator scapulae

Chest:

Pectoralis major (especially upper portion)

Arms

Triceps

Biceps

Forearm muscles

Abdomen:

Rectus abdominis (six-pack muscle)

External oblique

Internal oblique

Transversus abdominis (deep abdominal muscle, 'corset muscle')

Lower back and spine:

Erector spinae

Lumbar multifidus

Quadratus lumborum

Lever lateral raise setup

Adjust the seat to the correct height and sit down. When seated, the pads should be at elbow height.
Place your elbows against the pads and rest your hands on the handles.

Lever lateral raise technique

“For the side of the shoulder”

The deltoid pulls on the upper arms from three directions. Lateral raises are usually performed by people who want to train the “middle” of the shoulder. However, limited EMG measurements show that during lateral raises (with dumbbells), the anterior head also does the most work, while the posterior head works almost as hard as the middle head. The difference between the contribution of the different heads is considerably smaller than, for example, during the shoulder press.

Machine vs free weights

The main advantage of this machine, compared with performing the exercise with dumbbells, is that you can fully concentrate on lifting the upper arms. When holding dumbbells, you are also stabilizing the forearm and wrist.

For that reason, the setup above specifies resting your hands on the handles. Do not grip them tightly and try to prevent any tension in the forearm and wrist.

Avoid cheating by placing the pads too high (and thereby making the exercise easier). Place them at elbow height and not higher.