Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Explore/Shoulders

Machine Lateral Raise

MachineIsolationEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary

Works

Delts

You need

Lateral raise machine

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Top
Main muscles
  1. 1Shoulder joint lined up with the pivot
  2. 2Push out with your elbows
  3. 3Pause briefly at the top

Most common mistake

Seat height wrong, so the pads drag up your arms.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Ranked #2 for shoulders
  • Keeps the work on the target muscle
  • Easy to keep adding weight
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Cable Lateral Raisevs Lean-Away Lateral Raisevs Dumbbell Lateral Raise
S
For shoulders
#2 of 27
See the full list →
Research
88
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 88
Target tensionExcellent
Loaded stretchGood
ProgressionExcellent
Low costExcellent

Isolates the side delt on a fixed path, and machines add weight in smaller steps than dumbbells.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SCable Lateral RaiseCable
  • ALean-Away Lateral RaiseDumbbell
  • ACable Rear Delt FlyCable
  • SReverse Pec DeckMachine

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