# single lateral raises



## bigalbib (Aug 4, 2008)

is this a good excercise for widening the delts, what weight should i be using ?


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## WillOdling (Aug 27, 2009)

There's no set weight you should use. It's what you can comfortably lift yourself with good form, your better off doing strict raises with 10's than throwing 20's in the air with crap form.

To answer about widening shoulders I like mil press. But side raises are okay


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## ryoken (Jan 8, 2009)

as Wildbill posted, military press has always been my main shoulder builder but i do laterals after as a finisher - as he stated pick a weight you can use with a nice form/decent control with a pause at the top:thumbup1:


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## bigalbib (Aug 4, 2008)

Thanks for your replies guys, much appreciated.


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## deeppurple (Mar 13, 2010)

wanna get your delts going?

do the crucifix at 15kg for 30 seconds at a time, 3 sets with 1 min break in between!


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## bigalbib (Aug 4, 2008)

deeppurple said:


> wanna get your delts going?
> 
> do the crucifix at 15kg for 30 seconds at a time, 3 sets with 1 min break in between!


 Had a workout at 5-30 am today tried those bloody hell they"re good, will keep you posted to how i get on with them, cheers...


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## Paul40 (Mar 25, 2009)

I find cable work and dumbell work covers the whole range of the delts


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## bizzlewood (Dec 16, 2007)

I really like behind the back cable laterals really good

Go really slow and focus on form


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## Dsahna (May 25, 2009)

Military press,nothing compares imo!


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## Jake1436114563 (May 9, 2008)

Absolutely **** exercise. Best used by advanced bodybuilders.

If you want your shoulders to grow focus on increasing you OHP.

Hang Clean and press is good as well (hits upper back and traps as well as deltoids).


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

Jake said:


> Absolutely **** exercise. Best used by advanced bodybuilders.


Care to explain this statement ? :confused1:

I think they are a great exercise for the side delt just use a slow controlled tempo as its easy to go too heavy.


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## Jake1436114563 (May 9, 2008)

Post should be in the bodybuilding thread. It's useless for powerlifting.

Still don't think they are that good, I may be biased as I always pull my right delt doing them though, haha.

OHP's will make your shoulders bigger (hence wider), agree?


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## Testoholic (Jun 13, 2009)

Jake said:


> Absolutely **** exercise. Best used by advanced bodybuilders.
> 
> If you want your shoulders to grow focus on increasing you OHP.
> 
> Hang Clean and press is good as well (hits upper back and traps as well as deltoids).





Lois_Lane said:


> Care to explain this statement ? :confused1:
> 
> I think they are a great exercise for the side delt just use a slow controlled tempo as its easy to go too heavy.


agreed, how you can call them a **** exercise i dont know. :confused1: have been doing them for years, slow and controlled, my delts are my best feature IMO and im constantly complimented on my shoulder width which in a fair part is down to that very exercise...


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## Jake1436114563 (May 9, 2008)

They're **** because they have literally no effect on the bench, squat or deadlift strength. This is the powerlifting forum is it not.

I think the OP is a newb, so the best advice is to stick to heavy OHP's. End of.


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## dudz (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't really like lateral raises, they do work for me although they cause a bit of discomfort in my left shoulder (sh*it form maybe?).


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## bigalbib (Aug 4, 2008)

Sorry if i put this thread on the powerlifting forum but i am a newbie & just wanted some advice on it, i will be more carefull in future....


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## Jake1436114563 (May 9, 2008)

thought you may be a newb buddy. No worries tho.

See, side laterals are useless for a newb. Better off using you energy for heavy OHP's


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## bigalbib (Aug 4, 2008)

Ok Jake, point taken will concentate on presses...cheers


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

People underrate single (and indeed double) lateral raises because they so rarely do them properly.

Single lateral raises are the best exercise for growing delts and thus shoulder width.

Do singles with your opposite shhoulder just leaning against a firm upright or wall so you can't heave and cheat.

Keep the dumbell right out to the side with your elbow only very slightly bent for safety - do not let it drift towards the front.

Let the dumbell straddle the side of your quad at the start and finish just above horizontal at the top with your thumb pointing to the floor.

You'll find this way you can't handle or heave too heavy weights, but achieve max stress on all three delts.


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

Jake said:


> They're **** because they have literally no effect on the bench, squat or deadlift strength. This is the powerlifting forum is it not.
> 
> I think the OP is a newb, so the best advice is to stick to heavy OHP's. End of.


Well i used to compete in pling and have trained with some of the best plers and they all did side laterals at least once per week...... 

Only a fool allows weak links to occur in the body.


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## hilly (Jan 19, 2008)

ruaidhri said:


> Con can you help me out here? Right now all I do for shoulders is db press on bench day. Would you suggest doing these instead of db press or aswell as? And I'm guessing high (10-15) reps on these?


Im no con but i would do a heavy set or 2 of each. hit those rear delts the same and job done


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

hilly said:


> Im no con but i would do a heavy set or 2 of each. hit those rear delts the same and job done


This but don't take the sets to failure may be 2 reps short.

The assistant moves are important but it is easy to go over board with them.

EVERY body part and muscle needs to be hit directly at some stage of a training program but how hard you hit each muscle can be variable.


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Yes - burn those delts with single laterals.

5 sets of 8 - 10 strict slow reps for each arm - and don't let the tension off the muscle at the bottom.

If you keep the bells out to the side and do the reps slowly you won't endanger your rotator cuff.

Love shoulders - shoulders make the man!


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## Jungle (Mar 9, 2009)

The best advice IMO is try them and if they work for you, keep doing them.

I personally get more out of pressing, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't advise someone else not to do lat raises.

Some people respond better to isolation work than others.


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## Dsahna (May 25, 2009)

Both mate,id never choose laterals over heavy pressing though!


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

ruaidhri said:


> con are you referring to bent over side raises, tagetting more rear delts, or upright for side delts?


Strict laterals will work all 3 delts very well...


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## mrosd (Aug 19, 2009)

Prodiver said:


> People underrate single (and indeed double) lateral raises because they so rarely do them properly.
> 
> Single lateral raises are the best exercise for growing delts and thus shoulder width.
> 
> ...


i usually do them with a cable or light dbs but using the above method which ive tried once a long time ago does give great stress to the delts but I remember I had to use embarrassingly low weights though because of the rigidity, felt like a right plank though!


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## Jungle (Mar 9, 2009)

The best advice IMO is try them and if they work for you, keep doing them.

I personally get more out of pressing, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't advise someone else not to do lat raises.

Some people respond better to isolation work than others.


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

mrosd said:


> i usually do them with a cable or light dbs but using the above method which ive tried once a long time ago does give great stress to the delts but I remember *I had to use embarrassingly low weights though because of the rigidity*, felt like a right plank though!


Don't be embarrassed by low weights doing laterals this way - they're the true weight your delts can lift on this exercise because you're not cheating!

You see far too many guys doing double laterals heaving and jerking heavy weights more in front than at the side - and they wonder why they're not very effective and why they damage their rotator cuffs!


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## dudz (Oct 27, 2008)

Prodiver said:


> Yes - burn those delts with single laterals.
> 
> 5 sets of 8 - 10 strict slow reps for each arm - and don't let the tension off the muscle at the bottom.
> 
> ...


I've been doing em with dbells slightly out in front, about 10-20 degrees from my side which i guess is wrong lol.

Do you reckon thats why i sometimes get pain/discomfort whilst doing them?


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

dudz said:


> I've been doing em with dbells slightly out in front, about 10-20 degrees from my side which i guess is wrong lol.
> 
> Do you reckon thats why i sometimes get pain/discomfort whilst doing them?


Yes - classic for RC injuries!


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## mrosd (Aug 19, 2009)

Prodiver said:


> Don't be embarrassed by low weights doing laterals this way - they're the true weight your delts can lift on this exercise because you're not cheating!
> 
> You see far too many guys doing double laterals heaving and jerking heavy weights more in front than at the side - and they wonder why they're not very effective and why they damage their rotator cuffs!


Yeah true say mate, I get good gains with the M.Press though to be fair. Might give these a go soon. I totally agree with the jerking, far too common and even I've tried it. Ended up with a pain last a friggin week.


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## dudz (Oct 27, 2008)

Prodiver said:


> Yes - classic for RC injuries!


Oh man!

At least i know why its a bit painful now, top advice dude.

+Reps :thumbup1:


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