Single arm lateral raise is a variation of the lateral raise that help to build the muscles of the shoulders.
Lateral raise is a shoulder exercise that works the middle head of the deltoid muscle, which is the rounded muscle at the very top of each shoulder.
You can use both arms while performing the lateral raise exercise, but it’s often recommended to use just one to add more difficulty to your workout and stimulate more gains.
You can use dumbbells, cables, and resistance bands to do the single arm lateral raise.
Shoulder Muscles
The deltoid muscle of the shoulder consists of three separate sections or heads.
- The anterior deltoid (In front)
- Lateral deltoid (at the side)
- Posterior deltoid (behind)
Muscles Worked During Single Arm Lateral Raise
The primary Muscle Worked during single arm lateral raises the lateral deltoid, which is the middle portion of the deltoid muscle.
Secondary Muscle Worked: The anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, upper trap, supraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle), and serratus anterior (muscles along your ribs under your armpit) also contribute to the movement.
A handful of other muscles worked or play the role of stabilizer muscles, include your.
- Wrist flexors,
- Obliques, and
- Rectus abdominis.
Benefits of One Arm Lateral Raises
- Lateral raises strengthening the side delts, that helps to stabilize the shoulders, which can help prevent future injuries.
- Lateral Raises improve the overall aesthetics and definition of your shoulders.
- Deltoids play a part in stabilizing the weight when performing bench press or overhead press.
- It helps create balanced shoulder development between sides.
- A single arm lateral raise can create better mind-muscle connection than raises using two arms.
Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise
Dumbbell one arm lateral raise is an excellent exercise to isolate and build side deltoids.
This dumbbell shoulder exercise is performed with one arm at a time
Make it a part of your shoulder exercises to build the lateral head of the deltoid muscle.
How To Do Dumbbell one-arm lateral raise
- Stand holding a dumbbell with one hand.
- Feet are shoulder-width apart and knees are slightly bent.
- Now bend your elbow and raise the dumbbell to your side.
- Lift them to a point slightly higher than your shoulder.
- Now lower the dumbbell in a controlled manner back to the starting position.
- Perform all reps on one side and then repeat with the other arm.
Tips
- Pause for a moment at the top before slowly lowering the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Avoid arching of the lower back.
4 Best Ways To Do One Arm Lateral Raises
Here are the best variations of single arm lateral raise that helps to build massive deltoid.
1. One Arm Cable Lateral Raise
The one-arm cable lateral raise is an isolated shoulder exercise that targets the deltoids, while increasing stability of the core.
It specifically works the middle head of the deltoid muscle. Having a great lateral head will give the illusion of a super-wide set of shoulders.
How To Do One Arm Cable Lateral Raise
- Stand next to a cable pulley machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and the handle attachment adjusted to the lowest setting.
- To maintain good posture, push your chest forward, and point your shoulders back while slightly bending both knees.
- Grab the handle and stand straight up with your arm fully extended and feet facing forward. Maintaining a slight bend in your working elbow, raise your arm up to shoulder height.
- Hold for a second, and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Tips
- Keep your torso still, your back straight, and your elbow slightly bent.
- Don’t just swing your arms. Keep controlled motion throughout the exercise.
- Always use weights that you can handle comfortably.
2. Lying One Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The side-lying lateral raise increases strength and stability throughout the entire shoulder.
Lying side laterals are perhaps difficult for beginners, but it is an interesting variation on conventional lateral raises.
How To Do Lying One Arm Lateral Raise
- Lie sideways on a flat bench, propping yourself up onto your elbow, so it is perpendicular to the bench.
- Hold the dumbbells so that they rest sideways on your upper thigh
- Slowly lift the dumbbells up and out to the sides of your body, pulling through the rear delts and middle traps.
- Pause a moment at the top of the motion before slowly lowering the weights back down to the starting position.
Tips
- Do not lift backward or forward.
- Avoid using momentum. Focus on moving in a slow and controlled fashion.
- Your working elbow should be slightly bent during the lift.
3. Leaning Single Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The single-arm leaning dumbbell lateral raise is an isolation exercise that strengthens the shoulder.
Compared with the dumbbell lateral raise, the leaning dumbbell lateral raise puts your lateral deltoid under tension through a greater portion of the range of motion, making each repetition more effective.
The leaning position creates leverage while maximizing the isolation of the shoulders throughout the movement. It also places greater overload at the top of the movement.
How To Do Leaning Single Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Stand holding a dumbbell with one hand. Feet are shoulder-width apart and knees are slightly bent.
- Now bend your elbow and raise the dumbbell to your side.
- Lift them to a point slightly higher than your shoulder. Now lower the dumbbell in a controlled manner back to the starting position.
- Perform all reps on one side and then repeat with the other arm.
Tips
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Avoid arching of the lower back.
4. Incline One Arm Lateral Raise
The single-arm incline lateral raise is an exercise targeting the lateral head of the shoulder muscles.
Many of the movements that work the same muscle group may look alike, but they focus on different parts of the muscles because they are at different angles.
If you want to develop better muscle specifically, keep in mind that it is more beneficial to include exercises that focus on different aspects of your training program.
How To Do Incline Single Arm Lateral Raise
- Lie sideways on an incline bench, set at 55 degrees, with your armpit over the top of the bench.
- Hold the dumbbell so that it rest sideways on your upper thigh
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbow, raise the dumbbell out from your side until your elbow is in line with your shoulder.
- Pause a moment at the top of the motion before slowly lowering the weights back down to the starting position.
Tips
- Do not shrug your shoulder when raising the dumbbell.
- Avoid using momentum.
- Your working elbow should be slightly bent during the lift.
Reps and Sets
Single arm lateral raise is usually performed for moderate to high reps, at least 8–12 reps per side, and 3–4 sets as part of the upper-body or shoulder-focused portion of a workout.
Best Alternative of Single Arm Lateral Raise
Before we deep dive into the best one arm lateral raise alternatives.
We must remember, a single arm lateral raise alternative will be able to satisfy the following criteria:
1. Activate the lateral head muscle, which is trained in single arm lateral raise.
2. Isolate the muscle groups during execution.
3. Train the lateral deltoid muscle through a longer range of motion.
1. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
To build the lateral head of the deltoid muscle, make lateral raises a regular part of your shoulder workout.
It’s a good alternate of single arm lateral raise to build your lateral deltoid workout.
2. Cable Machine Y Raise
The cable Y-raise is a fantastic exercise for the whole shoulder that activates all fibers of the deltoid anterior, lateral, and posterior, but it mainly targets the lateral shoulder.
This lateral deltoid exercise is the best and creative alternate of single arm lateral raise.
3. Cable Lateral Raise
The cable lateral raise is one of the best exercises that targets the side delts.
With this exercise, you should start at a light weight to ensure you proper perform.
There are multiple variations of the lateral raise, but they all have the same common goal, to build the lateral delts.
Takeaways
Single arm lateral raises are the great exercises to give a balanced shape to your shoulders and make them look broader.
There are many other variations and alternatives of the single arm lateral raise that you can add in your shoulder workout regimen as per your requirement and choice.
Sources
Related Posts
- 10 Best Single Arm Shoulder Exercises to build Deltoids
- Single Arm Lateral Raise: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Tips
- Best cable shoulder Workout for 3D Shoulders
- Best Anterior deltoid (Front Deltoid) Exercises & Workout
- 14 Best Cable Chest Exercises and Workout Routine
