Cable Lateral Raise

Constant burn on the very outside of the shoulder cap from start to finish.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+Cable machine

Side delts

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

Side delts
Hit
Lifts arm out to the side.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

2:56· Colossus Fitness

How to PROPERLY Cable Lateral Raise (TRY THIS!)

Arms down

Parallel

Stand sideways to a low cable, D-handle in the far hand. Lead with the elbow, raise the arm out to the side until upper arm is parallel to the floor. Lower over 2–3s.

Common mistakes

Letting the cable drag the arm down fast - losing the eccentric.
Standing too close - tension dies at the start of the rep.

Where you should feel it

Constant burn on the very outside of the shoulder cap from start to finish.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains side delts. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

Lean-away cable lateral
Hold a post and lean away.
100% on target
On target
Bigger stretch at the bottom.
Cable lateral behind body
Cable runs behind the working arm.
100% on target
On target
Same target, minor adjustment.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

Cross-body Shoulder Stretch
Pull one arm across the body with the opposite hand at the elbow. Shoulder stays down - don't let it shrug. 30s per side.
Rear deltsSide delts

Coach note

The best lateral raise variation, full stop. Dumbbells lose tension at the bottom; cables don't.

Side delts