Lateral Raise Variations

All-round lateral raise

Great for extending the time under tension in your raises

• Begin with a standard lateral raise
• Once you reach the peak, move your arms to the front of your body and lower them down in front of your legs instead of the sides.
• Reverse the movement back to the start to complete one rep.

Leaning lateral raises

Great if you're looking to extend the range of motion in each rep. All you need is either a resistance band or a cable machine.

• Grab either the machine or a fixed object to lean from like a pole and lean until your grabbing arm is fully extended.
• Position the resistance band or cable in front of your leg.
• Begin the movement by raising it out to the side to make your body form a “T” shape. Once you’ve reached the peak, control the movement back down to your leg.

Leaning dumbbell lateral raises

The final variation is ideal if you're looking to engage your lats at the very beginning of every rep. All you need is a dumbbell and a bench and you’re good to go.

• Get into position with one knee on the bench sideways and the other leg planted on the ground.
• Hold the dumbbell with your arm over the backrest of the bench, armpit resting on the top.
• With your other hand, grab the backrest for support and raise your arm to the side, lowering it back down with control once you get to the top of the movement.

Take Home Message

As well all know, repeating the same exercises can eventually get repetitive. If your lateral raises need a lift, these three variations could inject some life into your routine.