Cable Lateral Raise
A one-arm lateral raise from a low pulley that keeps tension on the side delts even at the bottom of the rep.
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Muscles worked
Target
Also works
- Equipment
- Cable, Cable station, Single handle
- Level
- Beginner
- Tempo
- Lift 1.1 s · Lower 2 s
How to do the cable lateral raise
- 1Set a pulley at the bottom and stand side-on to it, holding the handle in your far hand so the cable crosses in front of you.
- 2Hold the machine with your other hand and stand tall.
- 3Raise your arm out to the side with a soft elbow until your hand reaches shoulder height.
- 4Lower slowly until the hand is back in front of your hips, then switch sides after the set.
When to pick it: Pick it for wider shoulders: it works as well as dumbbell raises, so use whichever you prefer or alternate them.
What the research says
- In an 8-week study in trained lifters, cable and dumbbell lateral raises increased side-delt muscle thickness by about the same amount. Larsen et al., Front Physiol 2025
Form cues
- Lead with the elbow
- Push the hand out, not up
- Shoulders stay down
Common mistakes
- Shrugging the weight up with the traps
- Leaning away to cheat it up
- Going too heavy and swinging
Stop if something hurts, and check with a doctor before starting if you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury. SourcesTerms
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1–2 min |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 30–60 s |
Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time. Get a full 4–12 week program →
Equipment taken? Swap it for
These train the same muscles with different equipment.
