Shoulder muscles, which are also called deltoids, are made up of three heads: the anterior or front deltoid, the posterior or rear deltoid and the side or medial deltoid (sometimes called the lateral deltoid). The medial or lateral deltoid muscle is responsible for raising arms in a movement called abduction and contributes to making your shoulders look wider. Several exercises can target your lateral shoulder muscle.
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hip-width apart. With arms hanging down to the side, turn your hands so they face inwards toward your thighs. Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, lift your arms out to your sides until your elbows are level with your shoulders and your palms are facing the floor. Hold this position for a second before lowering your arms back down to your sides and repeating for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Lateral Raises
Cables will work your shoulders in a slightly different way to dumbbells because they keep an even tension on your muscles throughout the range of movement, unlike dumbbells, which have a distinct strength curve caused by gravity and leverage. Using a low pulley, stand sideways on the cable station and grasp a single handle in the hand farthest from the machine. Bend your elbow slightly and keep it locked. Raise your arm to the side until your elbow is level with your shoulder and your hand is facing down toward the floor. Pause for a second before lowering your arm back to the starting position.
Chest Expander Two-Armed Back Press
Chest expanders are light, portable and inexpensive. Consisting of two handles and either springs or rubber strands, chest expanders can be used for a variety of upper and lower body exercises. To target your lateral shoulder muscles, hold the chest expander behind you at armpit height with your elbows tucked in to your sides. Push your arms directly out until your arms are fully extended. Slowly return to the starting position by bending your elbows. Keep your shoulders down and back to maximize the effectiveness of this exercise.
Wide Grip Barbell Upright Row
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a wider-than shoulder-width overhand grip on a barbell. Keeping your wrists straight and your body upright, lead with your elbows and pull the barbell up to chest height. At this point in the exercise your elbows should be level with your shoulders and bent to 90 degrees, directly over your hands. Straighten your arms and lower the bar back to the starting position and repeat.
Lateral Raise Machine
Sit in the machine and adjust the seat so your shoulders are in line with the pivot points of the arm levers and the restraint pads are resting comfortably on your arms. Raise your arms away from your body until they are level with your shoulders. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position, but stop just short of allowing the weights to touch to maintain the tension in your muscles. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Several makes and models of lateral raise machines are available so you might have to adapt these instructions to suit the machine you are using.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2009
- "The Body Sculpting Bible Express for Men"; James Villepique, Hugo Rivera and Maria Courtier; 2009
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