There are multiple ways you can do a lateral raise – on your knees, bent arms, straight arms, cheating with momentum, with dumbbells or also a cable machine. But what is the best raise exercise for shoulders? This is what we are going to find out with the help of Jeff Cavaliere.
Cavaliere was the head physical therapist of the New York Mets for 3 years and is now a YouTube sensation. He delivers clear information without noise on his ATHLEAN-X YouTube channel.
As is typical with Cavaliere’s career, his focus is not only to know which exercise is best to build muscle but also on what is the best one that will not put you at risk of injuries.
We know that lateral raises are awesome movements to build shoulder strength and size. But what is the best raise exercise for shoulders? Here is what Cavaliere argued.
What is the Best Raise Exercise for Shoulders?
First of all, in any lateral raise you do, you must make sure your thumb is higher than the pinkie. That is to prevent shoulder internal rotation with elevation which puts extra stress on your joints and can lead to long-term pain and discomfort.
When asked what is the best raise exercise for shoulders, Cavaliere explains that it comes down to preference. “It’s not about the amount of weight you can move, but how well you can create tension in the muscles.”
When practising the straight-arm lateral raise (whether with dumbbells or a cable machine) you can use a heavier load since the momentum of the arm is shortened.
With the straight-arm lateral raise, be it with dumbbells or the cable machine, you must use lighter weights, but that does not mean the exercise is less effective. The shoulder is strongest at the bottom range of motion of the exercise and weakest at the top.
You can turn the lateral raise into a killer finisher by performing the range of motion from the mid-point to the top end. This will increase the amount of tension on the middle delts.
Essentially that would be Cavaliere’s answer to the question “what is the best raise exercise for shoulders?” If you want to know more about his arguments, check out his video below.
VIDEO – What is the Best Raise Exercise for Shoulders?
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