Cable lateral raise

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How to do it

Standing side-on to a low pulley, raise the arm out to shoulder height with a slight elbow bend, without shrugging the trap. The cable keeps constant tension through the whole range, unlike dumbbells.

Muscles worked

Mainly hombros. Train it inside a balanced routine to progress safely.

Recommended sets and reps

As an isolation exercise, it works best in 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 0–2 RIR. Use it at the end of the session to add volume without systemic fatigue.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using torso momentum (swinging) to lift the weight instead of isolating the deltoid.
• Using too much weight at the cost of technique and full range of motion.
• Doing reps too fast, without controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase.

Cable or dumbbell lateral raises: where the tension is when the arm is down

Cable lateral raises — also called lateral raises on the low pulley — solve a specific problem with the dumbbell version, and to see it you have to look at the moment of the exercise nobody watches: when the arm is by your side.

With a dumbbell, in that position the weight hangs in line with the shoulder and the deltoid holds practically nothing. Resistance rises as the arm moves away and peaks near horizontal. With the low pulley behind or beside the body, the cable pulls diagonally from the floor and the deltoid has to work from the first inch, precisely where it is most stretched.

That difference stops being a detail in light of the systematic review by Kassiano, Costa, Nunes, Ribeiro, Schoenfeld and Cyrino published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2023. Across eleven studies comparing full versus partial range, they found that full range and partials performed at the beginning of the movement — with the muscle long — produced more growth in quadriceps, biceps and brachialis than partials at the end, and that full range was also superior for gluteus maximus and adductors. Their recommendation is to combine initial-range partials with full range.

The conclusion should not be oversold: that review did not measure the deltoid, so applying its finding to lateral raises is reasoning by analogy, not a result. What can be stated without stretching anything is that the cable loads a portion of the range the dumbbell leaves free, and that this portion is exactly the one the available evidence flags as most productive in other muscles.

In practice you do not have to choose. Many people alternate them in blocks, or do the heavy sets with dumbbells and the last ones on the cable, where constant tension makes the final reps genuinely burn without needing more weight — which on a side deltoid almost always ends in cheating with the traps.

Alternative exercises

• Lateral raise
• Front raise
• Bent-over reverse flye
• Face pull
• Machine lateral raise

More Isolation exercises

• Machine lateral raise
• Barbell calf raise
• Kettlebell calf raise
• Dumbbell calf raise
• Standing calf raise

Add it to your routine

Progrevia can generate a personalized routine that includes Cable lateral raise based on your level, goal and available days.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does Cable lateral raise work?

Cable lateral raise mainly works the hombros muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.

How many sets of Cable lateral raise should I do?

Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for hombros to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).

Is Cable lateral raise good for building muscle?

Yes. Combined with progressive overload, good technique and enough rest, it's an effective tool to grow hombros.

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