Do cables or dumbbells build shoulder muscles better?
Dumbbell versus cable lateral raises for lateral deltoid hypertrophy: an experimental study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested whether lifting cables or dumbbells side-to-side builds your shoulder muscles more, making sure everyone moved their arms the same way.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 560 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested whether lifting cables or dumbbells side-to-side builds your shoulder muscles more, making sure everyone moved their arms the same way.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 560 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Larsen S, Wolf M, Schoenfeld BJ, Sandberg NØ, Fredriksen AB, Kristiansen BS, van den Tillaar R, Swinton PA, Falch HN
Related Content
Claims (10)
In people trained in resistance exercise, performing lateral raises with dumbbells or cables twice a week for 8 weeks results in a 3.3% to 4.6% increase in the thickness of the side shoulder muscle.
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.
Among people who regularly lift weights, 8 weeks of lateral deltoid training with dumbbells or cables results in the same increase in muscle thickness, showing that the type of resistance (heavier at the top or bottom of the movement) does not change muscle growth when the movement range is kept the same.
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.
Ultrasound scans of the side shoulder muscle at specific measured locations reliably detect small changes in muscle thickness, making them a consistent tool for measuring muscle growth during strength training.