Cable Side-Lying Lateral Raise
What Is the Cable Side-Lying Lateral Raise?
Cable Side-Lying Lateral Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, specifically the side (lateral) head of the deltoid, and also engages the upper trapezius, serratus anterior and rotator cuff as the shoulder blade rotates and the joint stays centered. It is an intermediate-level movement done lying on your side on the floor with your feet toward the low pulley of a cable column, raising your top arm from your hip until it points at the ceiling.
Lying down changes where the resistance comes from. At the start your arm rests along your side, level with the floor, so its own weight resists the first part of the lift while the cable runs almost in line with the arm. As the arm rises, the cable pulls more and more across it and takes over the load, and it is still pulling toward your feet when the arm points straight up, the point where a dumbbell raised in this position would stop loading the shoulder. The floor also holds your torso still, so there is no way to swing or lean the handle up. Compared with the upright Cable Single-Arm Lateral Raise, it takes momentum out of the lift completely; compared with the Cable Leaning Single-Arm Lateral Raise, it needs no balance or grip on the column.
It is a bodybuilding and physique accessory rather than a strength test, and it usually goes near the end of a shoulder or upper-body session with light loads for higher reps. Working one arm at a time keeps the stronger side from taking over and makes it easy to match the two sides. A clear mind-muscle connection helps, because the upper trapezius readily takes over when the shoulder hikes toward the ear, so think of pushing your hand away from your body in a wide arc rather than lifting it.
It suits lifters who are already comfortable with a standard lateral raise and want a stricter version, especially those who tend to swing standing raises. If you are new to lateral raises, learn the pattern with the Dumbbell Lateral Raise or the Machine Lateral Raise first, and if your shoulder dislikes raising the arm straight out to the side, start with the Dumbbell Full Can Raise, which raises the arms with the thumbs turned up.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Minimal
- Teres Minor
- Minimal
Instructions
- Attach a single D-handle to the low pulley of a cable column and set a light weight.
- Lie on your left side on the floor with your feet toward the column, your legs straight and stacked, and your body in a straight line pointing away from the pulley.
- Prop your upper body on your left forearm with the elbow under your shoulder, keeping your hips on the floor.
- Hold the handle in your right hand with your arm resting along your side, your hand by your hip, your palm facing your thigh and a slight bend in the elbow.
- Shift away from the column until the cable is taut and the weight lifts off the stack, then brace your core and pull your right shoulder blade down away from your ear.
- Raise your right arm up in a wide arc in line with your body, keeping the elbow bend fixed and your palm turning to face your feet.
- Stop when your arm points straight up at the ceiling, about perpendicular to your torso, and pause briefly without shrugging.
- Lower the handle slowly along the same arc until your hand is back by your hip, keeping tension on the cable.
- Complete all reps, then roll onto your right side with your feet still toward the column and repeat with your left arm.
Common Mistakes
Shrugging the shoulder
Letting the working shoulder rise toward the ear hands the work to the upper trapezius and can strain the neck, so keep the shoulder blade down throughout.
Rolling the torso
Rolling back toward your shoulder blades to start each rep brings in momentum and the front of the shoulder, so keep your hips and shoulders stacked for the whole set.
Raising past vertical
Letting the arm drift past straight up toward your head takes it well beyond shoulder level relative to your torso, which crowds the top of the shoulder and shifts the work to the traps.
Turning the thumb down
Rotating the arm so the little finger leads narrows the space at the top of the shoulder, so keep the palm facing your feet as the arm rises.
Sinking into the support shoulder
Letting your body sag onto the propped elbow pushes the bottom shoulder up toward the ear and strains the neck, so press the floor away with your forearm.
Letting the cable snap back
Dropping the arm quickly wastes the tension the cable gives near the top, so lower the handle slowly along the same arc.
Injuries
Cable Side-Lying Lateral Raise is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The floor supports your body and the load is light, so most problems come from the top of the rep and from lying on the bottom shoulder rather than from the weight itself.
The main strain point is the top of the working shoulder. Letting the arm drift past vertical toward your head, especially with the thumb turned down, can pinch the rotator cuff tendons under the bony roof of the shoulder, and shrugging to finish the rep loads the upper trapezius and neck instead of the delt. Stop when the arm points straight up at the ceiling, keep your palm facing your feet and keep the shoulder blade down. The side-lying setup adds strain on the bottom shoulder and the neck, because sinking onto the propped elbow pushes that shoulder up toward your ear. Keep the elbow under your shoulder and press the floor away with your forearm, or rest your head on your bottom arm or a folded towel if propping up bothers you.
To make it easier, use the lightest pin or do the movement with no handle at all, or switch to the upright Cable Single-Arm Lateral Raise or the Machine Lateral Raise. For irritable shoulders, the Dumbbell Full Can Raise or Dumbbell Side-Lying Shoulder External Rotation build the rotator cuff with gentler loads. To progress, add reps, slow the lowering or pause at the top before adding weight.
Stop the set if you feel a sharp or pinching pain at the top of the shoulder, pain in the bottom shoulder that does not ease when you adjust your position, or numbness or tingling down the arm, and have persistent shoulder pain checked by a medical professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is this different from a standing cable lateral raise?
In the upright Cable Single-Arm Lateral Raise your legs and torso can help the weight up, while here the floor holds your body still, so every rep is strict. Your arm's own weight also adds to the start of the lift, so most people use a lighter pin than they do standing.
- Q: Why does the start of the rep feel hard with such a light weight?
Your arm starts level with the floor, so its own weight works against you from the first inch, while the cable runs almost in line with the arm and adds little until the arm lifts away from your side. As the arm rises, the arm's weight matters less and the cable takes over.
- Q: How far from the machine should I lie?
Lie with your feet a short distance from the base of the column, far enough that the weight lifts off the stack with your hand by your hip. Use the same spot every set so the load stays comparable from week to week.
- Q: Can I do this with a dumbbell instead?
You can, but the load changes. Lying on your side, a dumbbell resists most when your arm is near your side and almost nothing once it points at the ceiling, while the cable keeps pulling toward your feet at the top, which is the main reason to use it here.
- Q: How many reps should I do?
Most lifters use light loads for 10 to 20 controlled reps per set, since a heavier pin tends to turn the raise into a shrug or a roll of the torso. Finish all reps on one side before switching, and start each set with your weaker arm.