Muscles worked
The band lateral raise trains the side of your shoulders, the middle part of the deltoid. The supraspinatus in the rotator cuff helps at the start of the lift, and your upper traps stabilise your shoulder blades. With a band, almost all the resistance sits in the top half, where the band is most stretched and your arm has the longest lever. Crossing the band in front of you, so each hand holds the end coming from the opposite foot, brings the tension in earlier.
Common mistakes
- The band is too stiff. With a band that is too strong, your arms stop well short of shoulder height. Use a lighter band, or stand with your feet closer together on it.
- Resting your hands on your thighs between reps. The band goes slack and every rep starts from zero. Stop a few centimetres out from your thighs so the tension stays on.
- Leaning away from the band when you work one arm at a time. The lean takes work off the shoulder. Stand tall and hold a wall or door frame with your free hand.
Variations and alternatives
- The dumbbell lateral raise is the gym version, where progress can be tracked in kilos.
- The cable lateral raise gives resistance from the very first centimetre, where the band feels lightest.
- The band upright row trains the side delts with bent arms, usually with a stiffer band.
Sets and reps
Band lateral raises work best with high reps: 15 to 25 over two to four sets, or 12 to 15 if you want it a little heavier. End the set when your arms no longer reach shoulder height. Read about choosing a range in the guide to sets and reps.
To make it harder without a new band, widen your stance, cross the band or hold your arms at shoulder height for a second on each rep. Move to the next step only when all your sets reach the top of the range, and you are following progressive overload without any weights. Keep one or two reps in reserve: the last heavy reps are where your shoulders creep towards your ears.