For the lateral delts, so to speak the sides of the shoulders, there is only one specific exercise: side raises. This exercise does come in many variants. The dumbbell version is the best known, but not necessarily the most effective. By using cables you can put a little more tension on your laterals, especially if you do so-called cable y raises.
THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE DUMBBELL SIDE RAISE
There is nothing wrong with dumbbell side raises. However, the exercise is often performed incorrectly, putting more stimulus on the front of the shoulders. But even with a correct execution it is sometimes difficult to make a good mind-muscle connection.
In addition, the dumbbell side raise lacks tension in the bottom of the movement, where there is hardly any gravity.
CABLE Y RAISE
A worthy alternative to the dumbbell side raise is the cable y raise, which does not have the aforementioned defects. The use of cables ensures tension in every part of the range of motion.
In addition, the positioning allows you to feel your lateral delts better, so you can also be sure to tackle the sides of your shoulders.
Finally, with this version of cable raises you train both shoulders at the same time, in contrast to the more common cable side raise where you train your shoulders alternately with one cable.
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REPRANGE
For an optimal mind-muscle connection, we recommend doing the cable y raise with light weights, in the range of 15 to 25 reps. That way you can optimally focus on feeling your lateral delts working.
TRAINING SIDE SHOULDERS
Has the dumbbell side raise now been written off? Not that either. The unique benefit of dumbbell side raises is the increasing tension on your shoulders as you rise. According to hypertrophy expert Brad Schoenfeld, it is therefore a good idea to include both variants, with dumbbells and with cables, in your schedule.
Two variants of side raises is certainly not a luxury. Remember that with the shoulder press you mainly train your front shoulder heads. The sides often receive too little attention, resulting in ‘flat’ shoulders in the front view.