Lateral raises for Shoulder Width and Mass

Lateral raises may be the most important exercise for shoulder width and mass. If you're looking to widen your shoulders and develop that "cannonball" look, then lateral raises are an absolute must.

They are one of the only exercises that isolates the middle of the shoulder, and should be central to any good mass-building shoulder workout.

What muscles do they work?

Laterals work the medial deltoid, which is the middle of the three shoulder muscles (yep, the shoulder is actually three separate muscles - not just one muscle with three heads like the tricep).

This muscle is worked to some extent in a variety of lifts - the overhead shoulder press, the upright row, and is even somewhat active in the bench press.

However, most people find that these compound exercises don't hit the middle shoulder hard enough to stimulate much growth.

To really tax those medial delts, and develop that wide-shouldered V-shape, you need to isolate the muscle - that's where laterals come in.

Ironically, although they are the most important exercise for shoulder width, they are often neglected in the gym. Too often you see a typical "shoulders" day comprised of heavy overhead presses, then set after set of front raises, with laterals thrown in as an afterthought.

That's a good recipe for an unbalanced, "drooping" look, pulled forward by over-developed front shoulders and nothing going on at the back or sides.

If anything, it's the sides of the shoulders that are the most important in building a wide V-shape physique. If that's your goal, then you should view side laterals as at least equally important (if not more) than your overhead presses.

How to do them

Grab a pair of dumbells. Pick a light pair you can find to warm up with. If you're doing laterals with good form, you shouldn't be able to lift much at first. Stand straight with the dumbells to your sides, feet shoulder width apart.

Slowly raise the dumbells out to the side, until they are level with your head - don't go higher than this as it can put undue stress on your rotator cuffs. Lower the dumbells under control to your sides. That's one rep.

The only motion should be at your shoulder joint - no movement at the elbows, and no rocking of your body to cheat the weight up. Lateral raises are most effective when the shoulders are isolated and doing all the work.

How to incorporate them into your training

If you're doing a workout split routine, it makes sense to do lateral raises on the day you train shoulders.

Assuming you're training for size, you probably want to keep your repetitions high - three sets of 8-10 reps should be fine. Some people find that they can train their medial delts more frequently than other body parts, and like to train them 2-3 times per week.



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