Since M&F readers have been enjoying my series on exercises that I consider “essential” to those looking to build and sculpt a complete physique, I decided to continue by turning my attention to the shoulders.
While it is certainly necessary to employ some heavy overhead pressing movements into your deltoid program, no movement is better (or more essential) than side lateral raises when it comes to creating true “boulder shoulders.” Here are 6 solid reasons you need to be doing this exercise on your delt-destroying days!
While exercises such as overhead presses and upright rows will certainly engage the side (lateral/medial) deltoid head, no movement “isolates” this area as effectively as side lateral raises.
Tip:When performing this exercise with DB’s you should begin with the weights at your sides, rather than in front of your thighs, in order to force the medial head to become most responsible for the lift.
One of my favorite things about this movement is the wide variety of ways they can be done (with each version creating a unique stimulus). This includes:
standing or seated
using DB’s, cables or a machine
performing the exercise with both arms at once or unilaterally
Tip: When it comes to performing single-arm cable side lateral raise, try standing in front of the cable, with the handle starting from behind your back. While you may need to use less weight with this version of the movement, the intense burn will tell you just how hard you are hitting the lateral delts.
Without a doubt, side lateral raises are an excellent exercise to incorporate into supersets, which is an awesome intensity technique for igniting shoulder growth. The movement goes especially well with WG BB upright rows for a major one-two “growth punch” of the medial deltoid heads.
Tip: During some workouts, try “pre-exhaust” supersets in which some form of this exercise is followed immediately by a compound pressing or upright rowing exercise. In other sessions try “flipping the script,” so that the compound movement precedes side laterals, which is known as “post-activation” supersets. Both types of supersets offer a unique stimulus to the muscles and central nervous system.
Because the medial delts are directly fighting against gravity at the top of every repetition of side lateral raises, it is advisable to hold the peak contraction for at least 1-2 seconds during each rep. By doing so, you will not only manifest a superior pump, but will also exhaust more muscle fibers, which leads to enhanced growth.
Tip: Both machine and cable side lateral raises are superior to the DB version when utilizing the extended peak contraction intensity technique.
While it is true that overdoing certain exercises, such as bench presses for example, can contribute to creating and “unbalanced” or “disproportionate” looking physique, side laterals can always remain a staple. Nobody has ever built themselves “too wide,” and since this exercise primarily create width in the upper body, you can feel free to do some form of the movement at every shoulder workout.
Tip: If your medial delts are lagging behind I suggest starting every shoulder workout with some form of side lateral raise to not only prioritize, but also pre-exhaust this area.
If you are familiar with my articles then you are well aware that I am a stickler for utilizing a full range of motion on all exercises. However, I have discovered that a terrific way to stimulate side delt growth is to occasionally grab a pair of DB’s about twice as heavy as you normally would, and just work them through the first half of the rep.
Tip: To make half reps on side lateral raises most effective, make sure to keep constant tension on the shoulders by not allowing the DB’s to return all the way to your sides, which would only serve to disengage the targeted muscle fibers.
