Performing shoulder exercises with the arm raised above 90 degrees results in greater growth of the side shoulder muscle compared to exercises performed at or below 90 degrees.

When performing lateral raises with the arm raised exactly 90 degrees, dumbbells and cables produce the same amount of muscle growth, even though they apply resistance differently.

When both dumbbell and cable lateral raises are performed with the same arm movement range (90°), both exercises produce the same amount of muscle growth in the side shoulder muscle, regardless of the resistance pattern.

Working your biceps with your arms stretched back might grow the upper part of the muscle a bit more than doing curls with your arms already in front of you.

Lifting your arms out to the side or slightly backward, especially with your palms turned down, works your side shoulder muscles the most — this move might be the best way to build stronger shoulders.

In people who regularly lift weights, training the side shoulder muscle with dumbbells or cables for 8 weeks results in the same small to moderate increase in muscle thickness, regardless of whether the equipment provides more resistance at the top or bottom of the movement.