Machine Lateral Raise

Also known as: Lateral Raise Machine, Seated Machine Lateral Raise, Lever Lateral Raise

Strength

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Body Part: Shoulders

Description

Sit with your elbows bent to about 90 degrees and push the pads out and up until your upper arms reach shoulder height, to build wider shoulders. The side (middle) delts do nearly all the work; the front and rear delts help a little. Because the load goes through pads on your forearms instead of your hands, there is nothing to swing and nothing to squeeze hard. That makes it a good pick for beginners, for high-rep sets and drop sets, and for anyone whose wrists or elbows complain on dumbbell raises. Set the seat height first: it decides whether your shoulder works without a pinch.

How to Perform

Use the pop-pin under the seat to set your shoulder joints level with the round pivots the lever arms turn on, just behind your shoulders.
Sit tall with your feet flat, a little wider than your hips. If your machine has a chest or back pad, stay in contact with it.
Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees, upper arms by your sides and forearms pointing forward, with the outside of each forearm against its pad.
Hold the handles lightly with your thumbs up. They only keep your arms in place; your forearms do the pushing.
Drive your elbows out and up in a wide arc. The 90-degree bend stays, and your forearms keep pointing forward.
Stop when your elbows are level with your shoulders and your upper arms about parallel to the floor. Hold for a second, shoulders down.
Lower over 2–3 seconds until your upper arms are back at your sides, and stop just before the plates touch down.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Tips

Sets of 12–15 reps taken close to failure suit this machine, though anything from 10 to 20 works. Add reps at the same weight until all sets reach 15 with a short pause at the top and no shrug, then move the pin one plate heavier and go back to 12.
One plate on the stack is often 5 kg, a big jump at lateral-raise weights. If the machine has a small add-on weight (1–2.5 kg), use it; if not, stay at the top of your range with a 1–2 second hold before you move the pin. On plate-loaded machines, add 1.25 kg per side.
The burn belongs on the outside of your shoulders. If your neck and the tops of your shoulders do most of the work, you're shrugging or going too high. A pinch at the top of the shoulder usually means the seat is off; if it still pinches with the seat set right, stop a little below shoulder height.
First time on the machine? Use the lightest pin, raise your elbows only about halfway (around 45 degrees) with a one-second hold, and widen the arc as it starts to feel smooth. To make it harder without adding weight, lower over 3 seconds or finish with a drop set.
Substitutes: Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise when the machine is taken or doesn't fit your shoulders, Dumbbell Lateral Raise if all you have is a light pair, Cable Lateral Raise for tension right from the bottom, Band Lateral Raise at home.

Common Mistakes

Seat set too high or too low. The pads slide along your forearms and the top of the shoulder pinches; move the seat until your shoulders sit level with the pivots and the pads stay on one spot from bottom to top.
Pulling with your hands: a white-knuckle grip, bent wrists and hands racing ahead of the elbows. Hold the handles loosely, think "elbows out and up" and push the pads with the outside of your forearms.
Shrugging, or driving the elbows well above shoulder height. Pull your shoulders down before each rep, stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor and drop a plate if the shrug keeps coming back.