Cable and dumbbell lateral raises produce similar side shoulder muscle growth when volume and range are matched.
Original: We Have to Talk About Lateral Raises
TL;DR
Evidence shows no meaningful difference in side delt growth between cable and dumbbell lateral raises under matched conditions.
Overview
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Claims (10)
1. In trained individuals, lifting weights through partial ranges of motion or at longer muscle lengths produces the same amount of muscle growth as lifting through full ranges of motion.
2. For people who are already trained, lifting weights with muscles stretched out does not result in more muscle growth than lifting with muscles shortened, and it does not result in less muscle growth than lifting through a full range of motion.
3. When trained people lift weights using either a partial range of motion at long muscle lengths or a full range of motion, and both methods use the same total workload and effort, the amount of muscle growth is the same.
4. When training volume and intensity are the same, lifting weights with greater re...
5. When trained individuals exercise biarticular muscles with their joints in posit...
6. In people who already train regularly, 8 weeks of weight training causes a small...
7. When trained individuals perform cable lateral raises and dumbbell lateral raise...
8. In people who regularly train, using cables or dumbbells for side shoulder raise...
9. When performing leg extensions with the hip fully extended, the rectus femoris m...
10. Performing shoulder exercises with the arm raised above 90 degrees results in gr...
Key Takeaways
- •Problem: People think cables are better for side shoulders because they stretch the muscle more, but no one knew if that actually made a difference.
- •Core methods: Dumbbell lateral raises, cable lateral raises.
- •How methods work: Dumbbells get harder when arms are out to the side (shorter muscle length), cables get harder earlier (longer muscle length), but both move the arm the same distance.
- •Expected outcomes: Both methods built similar amounts of side shoulder muscle after 8 weeks of training.
- •Implementation timeframe: Results were seen after 8 weeks of training twice per week with 5 sets per session.
Overview
The problem is determining whether cable lateral raises, which theoretically place the side delts under greater tension at longer muscle lengths, are superior to dumbbell lateral raises for hypertrophy in trained individuals. The solution preview is that a controlled study found no meaningful difference in growth between the two, suggesting both are equally effective when volume, intensity, and range of motion are matched.
Key Terms
How to Apply
- 1.Use dumbbell lateral raises on one arm and cable lateral raises on the other arm for 8 weeks, alternating arms each session to ensure equal exposure.
- 2.Perform 5 sets of each exercise twice per week, using a weight that allows you to reach momentary muscular failure between 12 and 16 repetitions per set.
- 3.Raise your arms from your sides up to shoulder height (0° to 90° of abduction) in a hybrid frontal/scapular plane, keeping motion controlled and avoiding swinging.
- 4.Use wrist cuffs during cable raises to eliminate grip fatigue and ensure side delt muscles are doing the work, not your hands.
- 5.Progressively increase the weight used in each exercise over time to stay within the 12–16 rep range across all sessions.
After 8 weeks of consistent training, you will experience similar increases in side delt muscle size regardless of whether you used dumbbells or cables, as long as volume, intensity, and range of motion are matched.
Studies from Description (14)
Claims (10)
1. In trained individuals, lifting weights through partial ranges of motion or at longer muscle lengths produces the same amount of muscle growth as lifting through full ranges of motion.
2. For people who are already trained, lifting weights with muscles stretched out does not result in more muscle growth than lifting with muscles shortened, and it does not result in less muscle growth than lifting through a full range of motion.
3. When trained people lift weights using either a partial range of motion at long muscle lengths or a full range of motion, and both methods use the same total workload and effort, the amount of muscle growth is the same.
4. When training volume and intensity are the same, lifting weights with greater re...
5. When trained individuals exercise biarticular muscles with their joints in posit...
6. In people who already train regularly, 8 weeks of weight training causes a small...
7. When trained individuals perform cable lateral raises and dumbbell lateral raise...
8. In people who regularly train, using cables or dumbbells for side shoulder raise...
9. When performing leg extensions with the hip fully extended, the rectus femoris m...
10. Performing shoulder exercises with the arm raised above 90 degrees results in gr...
Claims (10)
1. In trained individuals, lifting weights through partial ranges of motion or at longer muscle lengths produces the same amount of muscle growth as lifting through full ranges of motion.
2. For people who are already trained, lifting weights with muscles stretched out does not result in more muscle growth than lifting with muscles shortened, and it does not result in less muscle growth than lifting through a full range of motion.
3. When trained people lift weights using either a partial range of motion at long muscle lengths or a full range of motion, and both methods use the same total workload and effort, the amount of muscle growth is the same.
4. When training volume and intensity are the same, lifting weights with greater re...
5. When trained individuals exercise biarticular muscles with their joints in posit...
6. In people who already train regularly, 8 weeks of weight training causes a small...
7. When trained individuals perform cable lateral raises and dumbbell lateral raise...
8. In people who regularly train, using cables or dumbbells for side shoulder raise...
9. When performing leg extensions with the hip fully extended, the rectus femoris m...
10. Performing shoulder exercises with the arm raised above 90 degrees results in gr...
Related Content
Claims (10)
When trained individuals perform cable lateral raises and dumbbell lateral raises with the same number of sets, reps, weight, and effort to muscle failure, both exercises result in the same amount of muscle growth in the side shoulder muscle.
In people who regularly train, using cables or dumbbells for side shoulder raises produces the same amount of muscle growth in the side deltoid when the number of sets, effort level, and movement range are kept identical.
When performing leg extensions with the hip fully extended, the rectus femoris muscle grows larger than the vastus lateralis muscle because the rectus femoris spans two joints and is stretched more during this movement.
When training volume and intensity are the same, lifting weights with greater resistance at longer muscle lengths results in the same amount of muscle growth as lifting with greater resistance at shorter muscle lengths.
For people who are already trained, lifting weights with muscles stretched out does not result in more muscle growth than lifting with muscles shortened, and it does not result in less muscle growth than lifting through a full range of motion.
Studies (8)
Lengthened Partial Repetitions Elicit Similar Muscular Adaptations as a Full Range of Motion During Resistance Training in Trained Individuals
DOI: 10.51224/SRXIV.455
Placing Greater Torque at Shorter or Longer Muscle Lengths? Effects of Cable vs. Barbell Preacher Curl Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy in Young Adults
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17165859
Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths
DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000004460
Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths
DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002523
The effects of lengthened-partial range of motion resistance training of the limbs on arm and thigh muscle cross-sectional area
DOI: 10.51224/SRXIV.485