Tag: Shoulders
Lat Pulldown Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Different Grips
If you want to build a stronger, more muscular upper back, lat pulldowns will help. Sure, pull-ups and chin-ups are more hardcore and “functional,” but lat pulldowns make it easier to target your muscles with laser-like precision. Small changes to your torso angle or hand width will affect the target muscles differently.
And speaking of your hands, should you do lat pulldowns with a wide, medium, narrow, parallel, overhand, or underhand grip? With so many options, it can be hard to know what’s best.
In this article, we explain how to do lat pulldowns correctly and how the different grips affect your muscles.
Lat Pulldowns – Muscles Worked
Contrary to popular opinion, the “lat” in lat pulldowns doesn’t refer to your latissimus dorsi muscle. Instead, it’s short for lateral, which is the plane of movement that your arms move in when you perform this exercise.
However, despite this naming confusion, lat pulldowns do indeed work your lats. That said, they aren’t working alone, and several other muscles are also involved:
Latissimus dorsi
Known as the lats for short, these muscles are located on the side of your upper back. Connecting your arms to your trunk, the lats are responsible for the adduction and extension of your shoulder joints. They also play a role in medial rotation. When well-developed, the lats look like muscular wings and are responsible for your upper back width.
The lats are the agonist or prime mover during lat pulldowns. However, using different grips and hand widths will allow you to emphasize different regions of this muscle.
Trapezius
The trapezius is the large diamond-shaped muscle that covers much of your mid-upper back. Known as the traps for short, there are three sets of fibers that make up this muscle – upper, middle, and lower. The middle and upper fibers are most active during lat pulldowns, as they work to pull your shoulders together and down. The upper traps are not very active during lat pulldowns.
Rhomboids
Located between your scapulae or shoulder blades, the rhomboids work with the mid-traps to pull your shoulders back and together. There are two pairs of rhomboid muscles – major and minor – and both are working during lat pulldowns.
Deltoids
The deltoids or delts are your main shoulder muscles. Like the traps, there are three sets of deltoid fibers, often referred to as heads – anterior (front), medial (middle), and posterior (rear). All three delt heads work together, but the posterior head is the most active during lat pulldowns.
Rotator cuff
The rotator cuff is a group of four small muscles that control and stabilize your shoulder joint. These muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. While you won’t be able to see or feel these muscles during lat pulldowns, you can be sure they’re actively engaged.
Biceps brachii
The biceps brachii, more commonly just called the biceps, is your primary elbow flexor and also supinates your forearm, i.e., turns your palm up. Located on the front of your upper arms, your biceps play a critical role in lat pulldowns. Using a supinated or palms-up grip puts your biceps in a stronger position, so you may find that grip allows you to use more weight.
Brachialis
The brachialis is like a mini-biceps, helping to flex your elbows. However, unlike the biceps brachii, this muscle plays no part in the supination of your forearm. As such, it’s equally involved regardless of what grip you use.
Brachioradialis
Brachioradialis is one of your main forearm/wrist flexors and plays a big part in your grip strength. If your hands start to fail before your lats, this muscle is a likely culprit. You can work around a weak grip by using lifting straps. However, it’s also a good idea to work on your grip strength so it is less of a limiting factor in your workouts.
Core
Core is the collective name for the muscles that make up your midsection. During lat pulldowns, you’ll need to use these muscles to stop the weight pulling your spine into hyperextension. The core muscles include the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae. However, the rectus abdominis is the most active.
How to Do Lat Pulldowns
There are several ways to do lat pulldowns, as outlined later in this article. However, the medium-width overhand grip is arguably the most common variation and the one most lifters should master before moving on to other options.
In addition, all types of lat pulldown share many of the same characteristics, so it makes sense to master this version first.
So, get more from lat pulldowns while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines.
Attach a long bar to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the bar with a pronated/overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Do not flex your wrists.
Contract your lats as hard as possible at the mid-point of each rep.
Smoothly extend your arms and continue for the desired number of reps.
Pro Tips:
Make lat pulldowns even more effective with these handy performance tips, many of which can be applied to other lat pulldown variations:
Do not lean back or sway to pull the bar down. This takes tension away from the target muscles.
Squeeze and don’t jerk the weight down to minimize momentum and keep your muscles under tension for longer.
Pause at the midpoint of each rep to maximize lats activation and improve your mind-muscle connection.
Use a full range of motion to maximize muscle engagement.
Avoid using too much weight. Ego-lifting will make lat pulldowns less effective. Make sure you can feel the lats doing most of the work and not your biceps.
Pull to the front and not the back. Behind-the-neck lat pulldowns are harder on your shoulders and reduce lat engagement, making the exercise less effective but more risky.
Use a false or thumbless grip which tends to reduce biceps activation and lets you focus more on your lats.
Use lifting chalk to dry your hands, prevent slippage, and reinforce your grip.
Use lifting straps of your hands fail before your lats. However, you should also work on developing a stronger grip.
Lat Pulldown Benefits and Drawbacks
Not sure if lat pulldowns deserve a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!
Very adjustable and accessible
Pull-ups and chin-ups are great, but you need to be strong enough to lift your body weight using just your arm and back muscles. This feat may be beyond the ability of many exercisers, either because they’re weak or heavy.
You can adjust the weight with lat pulldowns, so they are accessible to all levels of strength and experience, irrespective of body weight.
Very safe
Performed with good technique and an appropriate load, there is very little to go wrong with lat pulldowns, and accidents and injuries are rare. They’re very shoulder-friendly, and most people can find a grip that is both comfortable and effective.
Perfect for intensity-boosting drop sets
Most lat pulldown machines have selectorized weight stacks, so you can change the load quickly and easily. This makes them ideal for drop sets. Rep out to failure, reduce (or drop) the weight by 10-15%, and then rep out again. Do 2-4 drops to fully exhaust your muscles and stimulate maximal hypertrophy.
Widely available
Most gyms have at least one lat pulldown machine. As such, this is a very accessible exercise, and most gymgoers should be able to include it in their back workouts.
Plenty of variations to choose from
As you will see in the next section, there are numerous ways to perform lat pulldowns, each with a slightly different effect. Lat pulldowns need never be repetitive or boring.
While lat pulldowns are a mostly beneficial exercise, there are also a few drawbacks to consider:
Limited overload
The amount of weight available for lat pulldowns varies from machine to machine. If you are very strong, you may find that you can max out on the lat pulldown at your gym. When this happens, you should seek out a plate-loading lat pulldown machine or graduate to weighted pull-ups.
Using very heavy weights can be difficult
Getting into the correct lat pulldown starting position with a weight greater than your body weight can be a real challenge. You may find yourself dangling from the bar and unable to get your legs under the knee pads.
If this happens to you, you can ask a training partner to help you or may need to switch to pull-ups, where getting into the right starting position is considerably easier.
Equipment requirements
While most gyms have at least one lat pulldown machine, you probably won’t have space for one in your home gym. As such, most home exercisers cannot do lat pulldowns. However, you can replicate this exercise with resistance bands, or you can do pull-ups and chin-ups instead, using a resistance band for assistance if necessary.
10 Lat Pulldown Variations and Alternatives
Basic overhand medium-grip lat pulldowns are an excellent exercise, but if that’s all you ever do, you’ll soon get bored and hit a plateau. Changing your grip will affect the target muscles slightly differently and help you avoid training ruts.
Use these variations to customize your back workout and target the areas you want to develop. However, remember that the lats will always be the engine that drives your lat pulldowns, and any changes you make will only have a very small effect.
1. Overhand wide-grip lat pulldowns
Overhand wide-grip lat pulldowns are very popular with bodybuilders. They use this exercise to increase upper lat width, creating that highly prized V-shaped torso. On the downside, a wide grip is less efficient, so you won’t be able to lift as much weight. This means wide-grip lat pulldowns are good for muscle hypertrophy but less so for building strength.
Steps:
Attach a long bar to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the bar with a pronated/overhand, wider than shoulder-width grip. Your arms should form a broad V-shape.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Keep your wrists straight.
Smoothly extend your arms and continue for the desired number of reps.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (upper), trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, forearms, core.
Benefits:
Fill out your upper lats to make your back wider.
More challenging than most other lat pulldown variations.
Less weight is needed for an effective workout.
Tips:
Drive your elbows down, back, and in to maximize lat and mid-back engagement.
Keep your wrists straight.
Lift your chest up toward the bar.
2. Overhand close-grip lat pulldowns
You won’t see many people doing overhand close grip lat pulldowns because they’re hard and feel a little awkward. However, they involve a large range of motion, making them useful for developing lat flexibility. They hit your forearms hard and emphasize the lower fibers of your lats.
Steps:
Attach a bar to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the bar with a pronated/overhand, slightly less shoulder-width grip.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Tuck your elbows into your sides.
Contract your lats as hard as possible at the mid-point of each rep.
Smoothly extend your arms and continue for the desired number of reps.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (lower), trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, forearms, core.
Benefits:
An effective way to target the lower lats.
A challenging forearm workout.
Provides your lats with a deep, beneficial stretch.
Tips:
Keep your upper arms close to your sides as you pull down.
Drive your elbows back to maximize lat engagement.
Do not lean back, as doing so makes this exercise easier.
3. Neutral close-grip lat pulldowns
This popular exercise works in much the same way as #2 but is considerably easier on your wrists and more comfortable. The neutral or parallel close grip is also very strong, and most lifters can use more weight for this variation. Like overhand close-grip lat pulldowns, this exercise emphasizes your lower lats and also hits your mid-back.
Steps:
Attach a neutral grip bar to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the bar with your palms facing inward.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Tuck your elbows into your sides.
Contract your lats as hard as possible at the mid-point of each rep.
Smoothly extend your arms and continue for the desired number of reps.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (lower), trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, forearms, core.
Benefits:
A comfortable, joint-friendly grip.
Hits both the mid back and lower lats.
Develop back width and thickness simultaneously.
Tips:
Lean back slightly to increase mid-back engagement.
Use a little more weight than for conventional lat pulldowns.
Use lifting straps to reinforce your grip if necessary.
4. Reverse grip lat pulldowns
Using a reverse or supinated grip puts your biceps in their strongest position, so you should be able to use more weight or crank out more reps before hitting failure. On the downside, using a reverse grip slightly decreases lat engagement, but using more weight or doing more reps should cancel out this deficit.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the bar with a slightly less than shoulder-width underhand grip.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Tuck your elbows into your sides.
Contract your lats as hard as possible at the mid-point of each rep.
Smoothly extend your arms and continue for the desired number of reps.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (lower), biceps, trapezius, rhomboids, forearms, core.
Benefits:
An excellent biceps and back exercise.
Good for building strength.
A useful precursor to bodyweight chin-ups.
Tips:
Keep your forearms parallel throughout.
Drive your elbows down and back to maximize lat engagement.
Use a little more weight, as this is a strong grip and arm position.
5. Neutral wide grip lat pulldown
Wide grip pulldowns are typically done using a straight bar and a pronated grip. While effective, this puts your arms in a mechanically disadvantageous position, limiting the weight you can use and the number of reps you can perform. Using a wide neutral grip bar makes for a more comfortable workout and puts your biceps in a stronger position. However, not all gyms have such a bar.
Steps:
Attach a long parallel grip bar to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the bar with your palms facing inward.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Tuck your elbows into your sides.
Smoothly extend your arms and continue for the desired number of reps.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (upper), biceps, trapezius, rhomboids, forearms, core.
Benefits:
A strong, comfortable grip.
Allows you to lift more weight and/or do more reps.
An excellent biceps workout.
Tips:
Pull your elbows down and into your sides to maximize lat engagement.
Keep your chest up throughout.
Pause at the bottom of each rep and flex your lats hard.
6. Cable crossover lat pulldowns
What’s wider than wide-grip lat pulldowns? This exercise! Cable crossover lat pulldowns involve pulling in from the sides, which really hits your upper lats. It’s not unusual to feel this exercise directly beneath your armpits. Use this move to fill in your lat gaps and build the ultimate V-taper.
Steps:
Stand between the uppermost handles of a cable crossover machine and take one in each hand. Kneel in the middle of the machine with your arms outstretched to form a Y-shape.
Lift your chest and pull your shoulders down and back.
Bend your arms and pull your elbows into your sides.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Continue for the desired number of reps.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (upper), trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, forearms, core.
Benefits:
One of the best exercises for wider upper lats.
Very shoulder-friendly.
An excellent back workout finisher.
Tips:
Pause at the midpoint of each rep to hammer your upper lats.
Keep your arms out level with your torso.
Lift your chest to increase upper back engagement.
7. Single-arm lat pulldowns
While it’s common to have one arm stronger than the other, big left-to-right strength imbalances can affect both your appearance and your upper body function. Single-arm lat pulldowns are a simple way to fix such imbalances and are also an excellent method for improving your mind-muscle connection, not to mention your lateral core strength.
Steps:
Attach a long D-shaped handle to your lat pulldown machine.
Adjust the knee pad so that, when your feet are flat on the floor, it holds your legs in place.
Stand up and hold the handle with one hand.
Pull your shoulders down and back and sit down. Make sure your legs are held securely in place.
Lift your chest and arch your lower back slightly.
Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the handle down to your shoulder. Tuck your elbow into your side.
Smoothly extend your arm and continue for the desired number of reps.
Switch arms and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, forearms, core.
Benefits:
An effective fix for left-to-right strength imbalances.
Good for enhancing your mind-muscle connection.
Delivers an excellent oblique workout.
Tips:
Keep your shoulders and hips level throughout.
Pull your elbow in close to your side to maximize lat engagement.
Use an overhand, neutral, or underhand grip as preferred. Alternatively, let your wrists rotate naturally as you pull down.
8. Straight arm pulldowns
Every lat pulldown variation discussed so far works the biceps as much as the lats. In contrast, straight arm pulldowns involve no elbow movement, and your biceps are left out of the exercise. Straight arm pulldowns are one of the few lat isolation exercises and are ideal for warming up or finishing off your lats.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a lat pulldown machine.
Hold the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
With straight arms, step back to tension the cable. Lean forward slightly from your hips.
Without bending your elbows, push the bar down to your thighs.
Raise your arms and repeat.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi (lower), trapezius, rhomboids, core.
Benefits:
One of a few lat isolation exercises.
Perfect for pre- and post-exhaust supersets.
This is an excellent exercise for swimmers and anyone whose sport involves throwing.
Tips:
Keep your chest up, core tight, and lower back slightly arched.
Use as big a range of motion as possible without letting the weights touch down.
Experiment with different grip widths to see which you prefer.
9. Resistance band pulldowns
Home exercisers are often unable to do lat pulldowns. After all, not everyone can fit a lat pulldown machine in their home gym, and chin-ups and pull-ups may be out of the question. The good news is that you can replicate all of the previous exercises using a resistance band and a suitable anchor.
Just ensure that your resistance band is in good condition and won’t snap mid-rep, and your anchor is strong enough and won’t fail. Getting hit in the face by a resistance band is no laughing matter!
Armed with your resistance band, you should have no problem recreating your favorite pulldown exercise and working your lats at home.
10. Pull-ups and chin-ups
If you are very strong or don’t have access to a lat pulldown machine, pull-ups and chin-ups could be your next best option. Yes, you’ll need to up your game and lift your entire body weight with just your arms, but that will only enhance your muscle and strength gains. Pull-ups and chin-ups might be low-tech, but they’re very high-effect and offer a lot of bang for your workout buck.
Steps:
Hang from an overhead bar using a wider-than-shoulder-width overhand grip (pull-ups) or a narrower-than-shoulder-width underhand grip (chin-ups).
Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core. Bend your legs so your feet are clear of the floor.
Starting with straight arms, bend your elbows and pull your chin up and over your bar.
Smoothly lower yourself back down and repeat.
Muscles targeted:
Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, forearms, core.
Benefits:
Minimal equipment required so ideal for home and outdoor workouts.
A very functional pulling exercise.
A good test of relative strength.
Tips:
Don’t swing, kick, or kip, as doing so takes work away from your target muscles.
Think about lifting your chest and not your chin up to the bar to increase muscle recruitment.
Use a resistance band to make these exercises easier or a weighted vest to make them more challenging.
Lat Pulldown Guide FAQs
Do you have a question about lat pulldowns or back training in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers.
1. What is an easy way to remember which lat pulldown exercise works which muscles?
With ten different lat pulldown variations and alternatives, it would be easy to forget which one works which muscles. However, there are a couple of ways to make all this information easier to remember.
As a general rule, the wider your grip, the more upper lat activation there will be. Think wide grip for wide lats. In contrast, a narrower grip tends to hit your lower lats more. Exercises that involve more pulling in than pulling down emphasize your middle back, i.e., mid-traps and rhomboids.
Keeping this in mind, you should have no problem identifying which part of your lats you are working on.
2. How many reps and sets should I do to build bigger lats?
Contrary to popular belief, you can build bigger muscles with almost any rep range – from as low as five to 30 reps or more. The main proviso is that you must train your muscles to within a couple of reps of failure to make them grow. This contrasts the 6-12 rep range that was once the standard recommendation for hypertrophy training.
That said, sets of 6-12 are arguably more time-efficient than sets of 30 or more, so use your best judgment when deciding how many reps to do.
Regarding sets, two to four should be sufficient for most people, especially if you are doing several back exercises in a row. If you feel you need more than four sets to fatigue your lats, you are either stopping your sets too soon before failure or resting too long between efforts.
3. How many times a week should I train my back?
While some lifters can get good results from one back workout per week, most people will make better progress if they train their backs twice a week, e.g., Monday and Thursday. This provides a good balance between work and recovery.
However, this doesn’t mean you should do the same back workout each time you train – that would soon become boring. Instead, create two different back programs to keep your workouts interesting and productive.
For example:
#
Workout one
Workout two
Exercise
Sets x reps
Exercise
Sets x reps
1
Deadlifts
4 x 4-6
Pendlay rows
4 x 4-6
2
Wide-grip lat pulldown
3 x 8-10
Close-grip lat pulldowns
3 x 8-10
3
Single-arm rows
3 x 10-12
Seated cable rows
3 x 10-12
4
Straight arm pulldowns
3 x 15-20
Dumbbell pullovers
3 x 15-20
5
Face pulls
3 x 15-20
Band pull-aparts
3 x 15-20
4. How much wider will wide-grip lat pulldowns make my back?
Unfortunately, this is one of those questions we cannot answer. That’s because your ultimate muscle shape and size are determined by several factors, including your genetics, muscle origin and insertion points, training history, attention to diet, rest, and recovery, and your commitment and motivation.
Even if we knew all these things, we don’t have a crystal ball and cannot see into the future!
So, all we can say is if you train hard, eat right, get plenty of sleep, and don’t quit, you can significantly increase your back width. Build your workouts around lat pulldowns and pull-ups, and you’ll be heading in the right direction.
5. What are the best exercises for building a thicker upper back?
While lat pulldowns are great for building back width, rows build upper back thickness. There are lots of effective rowing exercises, including:
Bent-over barbell rows
T-bar rows
Cable rows
Inverted rows
Single-arm dumbbell rows
Chest-supported rows
Kroc rows
Pendlay rows
Meadows rows
Yates rows
With so many different exercises to choose from, you should have no problem finding the perfect rows for your needs and goals. Combine vertical and horizontal pulling exercises to build a back that’s both wide AND thick.
Lat Pulldown Guide – Wrapping Up
Lat pulldowns deserve a place in everybody’s back workout. Regardless of which variation you perform, this popular exercise will help you develop a broader, stronger, more muscular upper back. You can emphasize your lower lats with close grip lat pulldown variations or spread your wings with a wide grip. Most lifters should do both.
However, wide lats are only part of what makes an impressive back; you also need thickness, which is where rows come in. Combine vertical and horizontal pulling exercises to build an impressive 3D back that looks good from every angle.
How to Do a Tree Pose (Vrksasana): Muscles Worked, Benefits, and Variations
Tree pose, also known as Vrksasana is a body posture reminiscent of a healthy, tall, and resilient tree. Rooted down by the feet, and supported by the pelvis and core muscles, this yoga technique combines balance, coordination, flexibility, pelvic stability, core strength, and upper body mobility. But you’re also reaping the rewards of increased focus, and concentration while opening the hips, lengthening the spine, and strengthening the legs and feet.
For such a simple pose, Vrksasana sure carries along lots of advantages, and there are lots of reasons to do it daily. In this guide, we want to walk you through a proper tree pose while discussing the advantages, drawbacks, commonly performed mistakes and more.
Muscles Worked
While the tree pose is NOT a “muscle-building exercise”, it is a body and mind-building pose that will help keep your muscles loose, flexible, and functional as they move the joints. Learn about the muscles targeted with this technique.
Legs
Powerful and resilient, the legs represent the trunk while the feet are the roots that ground you in the tree pose. The weight bearing leg takes on more of the load than normal, while the glutes, hips and pelvis help to stabilize the trunk and act as support for the remaining steps.
Core
Strong core muscles support an upright posture and open diaphragm, which translates to healthier breathing, and hence better focus, and energy.
Shoulders
Lifted shoulders also help open the chest and back area to release tension, and promote posing stamina.
How To Do The Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
If you have the flexibility, and experience, the tree pose may be easy for you. But for everyone else, it will take some practice. While this technique appears to be simple and easy, well, try it and see if that’s true. You may be very surprised at how difficult it can be.
That’s why we created this step by step guide with video demonstrations, tips, and how to fix common mistakes. The key is to be patient, don’t rush, and make sure your body is aligned, tall, and balanced, while engaging the necessary muscles.
Steps
Stand tall with your feet together.
Slowly lift one knee up to roughly belly button height, then grab the front of the knee with both hands to keep the leg up.
From here, root down through all four corners of your standing foot, and align your pelvis and core to find your balance. Keep your pelvis straight and in line with your body, and low back lengthened.
Then grab the ankle of your lifted leg with the same-side hand, and rotate your thigh outward to open the hips.
Now flex your foot by lifting the toes up, then bring the sole of your foot as high as you can on the standing-leg inner thigh with your toes facing down.
Press your foot into the squishy part of your thigh and pull your thigh into the foot to keep it in place and avoid it sliding down the leg.
Here you can bring your hands together by your heart, or extend your arms overhead. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
Take your foot off the inner thigh, bring the knee to waist height, then place it back on the floor.
You can then switch legs, pulling the opposite foot to your inner thigh, and repeat the movement.
Check the short tree pose video demonstration below.
If you have 12 minutes for a more in-depth tutorial that shows all the technique tips and tricks, we highly recommend watching the following video.
Tips
Before you start the pose, spread your toes and bring awareness to your feet. After all, the feet are the roots and you want to feel a strong base before beginning.
Before you lift the leg and foot into position on your inner thigh, ease yourself into it by first lifting one heel off the ground with the toes still on the ground.
Remember to keep the pelvis tucked in and aligned with your torso. Do not let your buck curl up and arch the lower back.
Gently push yourself into the correct position if the pelvis shifts back or to the side when the foot is pressed into the inner thigh.
Use a wall or place your foot on the lower leg, rather than the top of the inner thigh for support, if you have trouble balancing.
It’s important to root your feet and stand tall in maintaining good balance.
Keep in mind, everyone may not have the same exact form during the tree pose.
If you want more of a challenge, try closing your eyes or looking up at the ceiling to train your balance.
Benefits of Tree Pose Vrksasana
There may not appear to be so many benefits of the tree pose, but we can assure you that there are many worthwhile. Here are the unique benefits of this exercise.
A functional test of balance, coordination and concentration
Challenging indeed, but consequently beneficial, tree pose tests and grows your balance, positional awareness, and concentration. Seldom do basic exercises have you stand on one leg to complete an exercise. Tree pose involved various elements, making you more functional and coordinated.
It’s so beneficial for the aging population who incur injuries from balance issues, in addition to the sports crowd.
One sided
The tree pose is asymmetrical in nature, with the left and right sides performing a different function. This develops proprioception (physical awareness of the body and coordination), unilateral function (training one side at a time), and trains us to perform as humans.
Tree Pose
Posture pose
The tree pose can challenge you to maintain good posture, by standing upright, and consciously focusing on being a tall tree! Today we slouch more than ever, looking down at our devices, and this technique gently helps to reinforce and focus on good body position.
Stretches the full body
We don’t do stretches like this often enough. Lifting the foot and placing it against the inner thigh opens the hips and stretches the groin area, while you’ll also feel it in the quads, and hamstrings via knee and hip flexion. Move up the torso, raise the arms overhead, and the upper chest and latissimus dorsi fibers lengthen, as well as the shoulders and arms.
Keeps you flexible
It takes practice to stretch the groin area if you lack the flexibility to pull your heel into the upper inner thigh region. As school kids, the butterfly stretch hit this area but most of us never did it again. Tree pose is a great way to bring it back into your routine!
Activates the core muscles
Balancing on one leg will naturally recruit your core muscles to do more to stabilize your body. It’s a nice routine for anyone, and especially elderly individuals who need a light, functional activity to help maintain their coordination and stability.
A pelvis exercise
Your pelvis is bones that connect the trunk and legs near the hips. When you stand on one leg, the pelvis is called upon for extra duty where it supports the weight of the upper body, and maintains stability there to keep you in proper posture. From there, you can comfortably perform the moving parts of the pose such as raising the arms overhead.
Builds patience
We live in a very instant world where we can get an immediate dopamine rush without having to wait like we did in the old days. This has caused us to become less patient, more anxious, irritated and yeah you get the point. The tree pose, and yoga, in general, is a form of meditative exercise that can help calm our nerves, reduce anxiety, and teach us that patience creates worthwhile rewards.
Drawbacks of Tree Pose
Take a look at this pose in motion, and it’s easy to see the potential drawbacks. But don’t mistake drawbacks with negatives as practice will change them into positives.
You’ll need some darn good balance!
There’s no way around it, you must have exceptional balance to the do the tree pose. However, we’d assume most people practicing this pose are capable of standing on one leg. But if you’re doing it for the first time and hardly test your balance, it will be difficult.
The good news is that a wall or chair can be used as a progression to a non-supported variation of tree pose.
But you should also take your time with the tree pose, and practice easing yourself onto one leg, and establishing your balance.
Can be frustrating to learn
For beginners especially, it can sometimes be frustrating when you can’t quite nail a pose. Balance, groin flexibility, and are the big annoyances during tree pose.
Common Mistakes While Performing The Tree Pose
While there’s no cookie cutter technique, there are general form cues and recommendations to ensure you stay injury free, maximize the muscles involved, and enjoy the process. Here are some things to avoid.
You can actually place your foot on the lower leg below the knee, if above the knee is too difficult yet. However, we do not recommend placing your foot directly on your knee, which will put unnecessary pressure on this joint. The knee is to meant to bend to the side, but rather back.
Not using the weight bearing/standing leg
If you’re doing nothing with the standing leg, you’re doing the tree pose wrong. You need the counter pressure from the standing weight bearing leg not only to keep the foot from sliding down, but to keep your body straight, which will allow you to have a tall posture and maintain your balance.
Clenching your toes
It’s normal to want to dig your toes into the mat to maintain your balance. But it’s more accurate to relax the toes, so that you can tense the quads and pull them up, to lift the hips in the proper position. Then you’ll have a more efficient tree pose.
Rotating the knees and hips to the side
When the foot is pressed into the upper thigh, there may be a tendency for some people to swing the bent leg and rotate the body. Focus on keeping your body facing one direction and don’t deviate or turn your body. The only thing that should be moving is your arms, whatever you decide to do with them during the pose.
Wandering eyes
Your eyes are also important for maintaining your balance during the tree pose. If you’re looking around, you’ll probably have a difficult time standing on one leg, much less doing anything else. Try to fix your gaze on a spot on the wall and keep it there.
Variations of Tree Pose Vrksasana
A base to other variations, tree pose is a fundamental pose that opens up the door to these similar, but individually unique exercises.
Tree pose with a block
Some people need to ease themselves into a pose, and using a block is a great idea. You can use it to inch your way higher up the leg, while having something to hold your foot up and in position. It will also allow you to focus on engaging the leg muscles and working that flexibility before you go full on tree pose. When you can move beyond this beginner technique, place your foot on the lower leg below the knee.
Steps
Stand tall with your feet roughly hip width apart.
Place a block long ways between your feet.
Find your balance on one leg by rooting down into the four points of your foot.
Bend the other foot and lift your knee up, then place the ball and toes of that foot on the top of the block. Keep your heel close to the ankle bone of the weight bearing leg.
Now focus on keeping your body squared up, with the hips straight, and body nice and tall.
Lift the foot off the block for a few seconds and try to find how you’ll gain balance on the standing leg. Do it a few more times.
Now, switch your legs and repeat.
Windy tree
As the name implies, a windy tree blows the branches from side to side. This can actually challenge your core muscles, stretch your midsection, improve total body stability, balance, focus, and your mind.
Steps
Find your tree pose stance, then raise your arms in the air in the form of a V.
Wave your arms from side to side while rotating your body from left to right.
If you thought tree pose was challenging, bring your feet a little higher on your hips, and try to do the same thing. You’ll also stretch out your abductor muscles on the outer thigh if performed correctly.
Steps
From a standing position, bend your left leg, pull the left foot up, and hold it across the top of your right thigh in the hip crease. Flare your toes and flex your foot. You can hold your foot in place, or let go and try to keep it there.
Stay in this position and try to feel out the movement, and get accustomed to holding your feet there, or bring your arms to a prayer position or raise them overhead.
Arms reaching to sky
There’s nothing like leaning forward and reaching your arms toward the sky to throw off your balance, or rather, force you to maintain it. Try the tree pose with this additional step.
Steps
Get into tree pose stance with one foot pressed into the opposite thigh.
Hinge forward at the hips, rotate your torso toward the bent leg, and lean forward.
Extend the top arm toward the sky, and use the bottom arm to stabilize yourself.
Toe stand pose
You need to be a vrksasana master to get deep down in this sitting pose, and support your entire weight on your toes, while crossing one foot over the opposite thigh. It requires an extreme degree of focus or you can easily be thrown off course.
Steps
Start from a full tree pose with one foot pressed into the opposite inner thigh.
Next grab your foot and pull it into your hip crease. Flare your toes and flex your foot.
Now hinge at the hips, bend your upper body down, extend your arms toward the floor, and slowly drop down on your hands.
Then walk your hands forward, rise up onto the toes of the standing leg, then bend the standing leg and slowly drop your butt down to within a few inches from the floor.
Keep your hands on the floor for support, and instead of sitting all your weight on your calf muscle, focus on pushing into the ground with your toes and lifting yourself up.
Wrapping Up
Balance, coordination, positional awareness, and every functional foundation are vital abilities that we need, yet often fail to maintain. Planting yourself in the tree pose on a weekly basis will help counteract aging’s effects on our balance, while keeping our groins and hips healthier, reinforcing good posture, and easing our minds from the stressful modern culture. Then when you’re ready for something more advanced, you can step into more complex variations that will challenge your body, mind, and spirit on higher levels.
CrossFit Cluster Exercise Guide: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations
CrossFit is a unique sport. It involves beginner-friendly simple movements like the air squat, shoulder press, and kettlebell swings. On the flip side, it also incorporates demanding exercises such as rope climbs, pig flips, and Olympic lifts (clean and jerk and snatch) that get elite athletes on their knees.
Most CrossFit WODs (workout of the day) consist of circuits that combine two or more movements. The CrossFit cluster takes this a step further, merging the thruster with the clean into a single exercise.
Interestingly, the thruster is a combination of two exercises — the front squat and the push press. Adding the clean to the mix makes the cluster a blend of three compound (multi-joint) movements.
CrossFit has set itself apart by requiring its athletes to perform unique and challenging compound exercises that help you work your entire body in a short time. The cluster fits the bill perfectly.
In this article, we go over the fundamentals of the CrossFit cluster, and everything you need to know about it to master the movement, including its benefits, correct form, common mistakes, variations, and the muscles worked during this exercise.
What is a CrossFit Cluster?
A CrossFit cluster combines two exercises — the clean and the thruster. The compound exercise works your entire body. Most WODs have just the right amount of clusters as chippers or in a circuit to destroy you by the end of the workout.
Each cluster begins from the ground. You must lift the bar to your hip height and catch it in the front rack position at the bottom of a squat. The rest of the movement is the same as the thruster. From the bottom of the front squat, stand up by extending your knees and driving through your midfoot. As you’re about to achieve full knee extension, use the momentum to drive the bar overhead and lock out your elbows. Return the bar to the front rack position.
In the thruster, you would go right into a squat after catching the bar and repeat for the recommended reps. However, you will return the bar to the floor with each rep while doing the cluster. Adding the cleans makes the cluster much more demanding than the thrusters.
You must follow the perfect form while performing the cluster to avoid unnecessary strain on your lower back. Lifting with a rounded back is one of the most common mistakes while doing this exercise.
Muscles Worked During CrossFit Cluster
The CrossFit cluster is a full-body exercise, recruiting almost every muscle fiber in your body. It is such an effective compound exercise that we think this section should be titled “Muscles not worked in a CrossFit Cluster.” Nonetheless, here are the muscles stimulated in this exercise:
Legs
The cluster works your quads during the initial lift off the floor; your glutes and hamstrings are activated as you get into the squat after catching the bar. This exercise is a complete leg builder that will help you add strength and size to your lower body.
Back
While performing the cluster, you’ll experience latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, teres major and minor, and trapezius muscle engagement. Since this is a hip-hinge movement, you’ll also feel lower back stimulation.
Shoulders
From pulling the bar off the floor and pressing it overhead, you’ll experience shoulder engagement. Cycle through the cluster reps, and you’ll feel a sick anterior and lateral deltoid pump.
Arms
The first half of the movement involves pulling the bar to the front rack, resulting in biceps engagement. The second half requires you to press the bar overhead, which will fire up your triceps.
Core
Performing a clean, especially while lifting heavier, requires a strong core. Your midriff and stabilizers will also be in action as you press the bar overhead and complete a lockout. Folks that lack a solid core will have trouble completing a heavy overhead lockout.
Benefits of CrossFit Cluster
Adding the cluster to your exercise arsenal entails the following benefits:
Boosts Your Skills
CrossFit involves a lot of skills. Most WODs involve a healthy chunk of high-skill weightlifting moves such as the Olympic lifts and gymnastics moves like handstand walks and ring muscle-ups.
The cluster helps you improve at Olympic lifts by incorporating the clean, front squat, and overhead press into a single movement. It will aid in improving your technique and get you better results faster.
Full-Body Exercise
The cluster is a full-body exercise that will help you build overall strength and muscle mass. This compound exercise will improve your functionality, making you better at other exercises and day-to-day activities.
The cluster will also improve your metabolic conditioning, boosting your performance in demanding workouts.
Helps Build Strength and Muscle Mass
The compound exercise will boost your strength and muscle mass. You must, however, program your workouts accordingly. Stay in the 1-5 rep range to focus on strength. On the other hand, the 8-12 range is optimal for hypertrophy. [1]
Enhances Endurance and Stamina
Perform high-rep sets of clusters, and you’d be gasping for breath. Adding cluster ladders to your WODs will help you build stamina and endurance, translating to better performance in demanding workouts.
Improves Coordination
There are several moving parts in the cluster. You need to clean the barbell off the floor, perform a squat, and then do an overhead press. Doing this exercise regularly will help improve your hand-eye coordination.
How To Do a CrossFit Cluster
The CrossFit cluster is a complex lift. You must dial in your technique to get the best bang for your buck. There will be a lot of tips and tricks, so pay close attention. Here is how to perform the cluster with the perfect form:
Steps:
Place a barbell against your shins and stand upright with a shoulder-wide stance.
Grab the bar using a shoulder-wide hook grip. Your hip crease should be below your knees crease. This will help you use your quads in the initial phase of the lift.
Your chest should be open, and you should look straight ahead while at the bottom of the lift.
Pull the bar to your hip level while keeping it close to your body by driving through your midfoot.
Pull the bar faster as it crosses your knees, and you stand upright by extending your knees.
The bar should make contact with your hips. At this point, lean back slightly, generate momentum by getting on your heels, and pull the bar toward your shoulders.
In one motion, jump your feet wide and get under the bar to catch it in the front rack position at the bottom of the squat.
Get out of the hole explosively by driving through your midfoot.
Press the bar overhead as you reach the top of the movement.
Move your head through your arms to achieve a lockout.
Lower the bar to a front rack position.
Repeat for reps.
CrossFit Cluster Tips
Pull the slack out of the bar at the bottom by pulling the bar slightly off the floor. This will help ensure a smooth upward movement.
You can skip jumping your feet out if you are comfortable with your initial stance and can use it to push the weight overhead.
Your elbows should trace over the bar in the initial part of the lift and drop below the bar as you catch it in a squat. This will help you keep control of the barbell.
Avoid rounding your back or looking down in the initial phase of the cluster, as it can put unnecessary strain on your neck.
Driving through your heels or toes will throw you off balance. Drive through your midfoot to maintain your center of gravity.
This Exercise:
Target Muscle Groups: Back, Legs, Shoulders, Arms, and Core
Type: Strength
Mechanics: Compound
Equipment: Barbell
Difficulty: Intermediate
Best Rep Range: 8-12 Reps
Common Mistakes While Performing a CrossFit Cluster
Stay clear of the following cluster errors for optimal gains and to avoid injuries:
Improper Form
Like all the other exercises, you only get better at the cluster with practice. Since this is a compound movement, lifters tend to make several mistakes initially. You must not yank the bar off the floor in the first half of the lift, as it can throw you off balance.
Keep your chin tucked and your eyes locked straight ahead throughout the exercise. Tilting your head toward the ceiling or the floor will again make the lift unstable. Plus, many lifters get on their toes too soon. You must wait for the bar to reach your hip level before using your feet to generate extra momentum.
Not Warming Up
The cluster is a full-body exercise, meaning a lot can go wrong while performing this exercise. Many people increase their odds of injury by not warming up before a workout. You must spend 10-15 minutes warming up before a training session for optimal performance.
Furthermore, compound lifts like the cluster require a decent amount of mobility. You must work on improving your flexibility and mobility to get better at the Olympic lifts.
Going Too Heavy
This is one of the most common mistakes lifters make while doing the cluster. Since this exercise is a combination of three lifts, many people load the bar with more weight than they can handle, assuming that they can muscle through the lift. However, letting your ego get the better of you jeopardizes your form and puts you at a greater risk of injury.
Variations and Alternatives of CrossFit Cluster
Use the following cluster variations and alternatives to add variety to your training regimen:
Dumbbell Cluster
This cluster variation uses dumbbells instead of a barbell. Although many lifters might think it is easier than the conventional cluster, it is not the case. The dumbbell cluster requires a different skill.
Steps:
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand upright with a shoulder-wide stance.
Push your hips back, hinge at your hips, and bend your knees to lower the dumbbells to your floor. Place the dumbbells on the outside of your feet at the starting position.
Lift the dumbbell to your knees by driving through your quads and midfoot.
Drive your hips forward and extend your knees as the dumbbells cross the knees.
Generate momentum by lifting your heels off the floor when the dumbbells reach your hip level.
Drop under the dumbbells and catch them over your shoulders.
Explode out of the hole and push the dumbbells overhead as you complete the movement.
Pro Tip: Ensure you’re using your quads to power off the floor by getting your hip crease below your knee crease at the bottom of the movement.
Thruster
The thruster is a great exercise to forge a more robust cluster. It is just like the cluster, minus the cleans while doing multiple reps.
Steps:
Take a shoulder-width stance and stand upright with a barbell against your shins.
Grab the bar at shoulder-width using a hook grip.
Clean the bar into a front rack and get into a squat.
Explode out of the hole by driving through your midfoot.
Press the bar overhead as you extend your knees.
Lower the bar into a front rack.
Perform a squat.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Hold the bar in the front rack position using a full grip. Balancing the bar using only your fingers can make the lift unstable.
Clean
The clean is an Olympic lift, which needs a lot of practice to master. However, sticking with this exercise will make you better at most other CrossFit compound lifts, as it will help develop a stronger base.
Steps:
Stand with a shoulder-wide stance with a barbell placed against your shins.
Grab the bar with a hook grip.
Maintaining an open chest and flat back, pull the bar to your knees using your quads.
Drive your hips forward and extend your knees to bring the bar to your hip level.
From here, lift your heels off the floor to pull the bar toward the ceiling.
Get under the bar and catch the bar in a front rack position while jumping your feet out.
Stand upright.
Pro Tip: Drive your knees outward during the initial phase of the lift, as it will help engage your legs to generate power.
Front Squat
The next two exercises on the list are among the nine basic movements of CrossFit. The front squat is a compound exercise that primarily works your quads.
Steps:
Start with the bar in a front rack position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Use a shoulder-wide stance and turn your toes slightly outward.
While maintaining an upright torso, lower into a squat and go as deep as possible.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Pro Tip: You must have decent upper body, overhead, hip, and lower body mobility to perform a front squat with an upright torso.
Push Press
The push press is a basic CrossFit movement that will help you build upper body strength and explosiveness.
Steps:
Start in the front rack position and a shoulder-width stance.
Drop into a shallow stance.
Extend your knees rapidly and push the barbell overhead while raising your heels off the floor.
Lock out your elbows at the top and drive your head through your arms.
Lower the bar to the front rack position.
Repeat.
Pro Tip: Your elbows should be under the bar at the starting position, as it will help you generate power.
Wrapping Up
CrossFit is a high-intensity sport that combines weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio. Olympic weightlifting exercises form the basis of the CrossFit resistance training WODs and help work your entire body in a short time.
The CrossFit cluster is one of the most effective functional exercises to help you build strength, muscle, endurance, and balance. Use the cluster alternatives and variations listed in this article to take your WODs to the next level. Best of luck!
References
Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.
Band Lateral Raise Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Variations
If you want to build half-moon-shaped delts at home, or on the go, then you need to get well acquainted with band lateral raises, and resistance bands in general… the ultimate budget and minimalist training tool. But make no mistake, if you know how to use them effectively, you can achieve gains a notch below other training methods like cables, and weights, (we will explain this drawback of bands later on).
If you need an alternative way to stimulate growth in your shoulders and improve your v-taper, then this guide will be a helpful resource for you. Keep reading to learn about lateral delts anatomy, how to accurately perform band raises, benefits you can expect, and the best variations, alternative, and optimal sets and reps.
How To Do Band Lateral Raises
When it comes to exercise technique, the more experienced you are, the more you can modify an exercise to your liking. But for people just starting out, it’s better to get the basics down, to ensure you’re training a muscle properly, using a full range of motion, and keeping yourself pain and injury free.
You can find detailed instructions with a video tutorial below.
Steps
Grab both ends of your resistance band and step on the center of it. Hold the ends of the band (where you grip it) together without stretching it, to make sure the bands are of equal length on both sides. Note: The closer your feet are to each other, the less resistance there will be and vice versa. You may need to do a few practice reps to find your optimal foot placement.
With your hands next to your outer thighs, stand up straight, bend your elbows slightly, breathe in, and brace your core.
Now raise both arms up laterally to your body, then stop when your hands are roughly shoulder level, or slightly higher. Keep your hands higher than your elbows. Breathe out during this phase of the rep. You should feel your outer delts contracting.
Slowly drop your arms to your sides but not all the way (a few inches away from your outer thighs), so that the band doesn’t lose its stretch. Breathe in, brace your core, and repeat.
Here’s a basic tutorial for anyone starting out.
Tips
Beginner exercisers will benefit most from starting with the lightest resistance band first. Focus on feeling the lateral delts work, and optimizing your form to avoid feeling pain in your shoulders.
If you feel pain in your shoulders, rotate your forearms so that your thumbs are pointing up to the ceiling.
If the resistance is too challenging when standing on the band with both feet, take one foot off the band. But still make sure both sides are even.
This Exercise:
Target Muscle Group: Deltoid lateral
Secondary Muscles: Deltoid anterior, serratus anterior, trapezius
Type: Hypertrophy
Mechanics: Isolation
Equipment: Resistance band
Difficulty: Intermediate
Muscles Worked
While primarily an exercise used to add muscle to your outer shoulder muscles, you’ll find that other muscles are involved in band lateral raises too. You can learn about their anatomy, and functional purpose in the following section.
Band Lateral Raise Muscles Worked
Deltoid lateral
When viewed from the front, your lateral or outer deltoid muscles, along with the rear delts are what help to create the half moon shape on the upper arm, right above the triceps. If you want impressive upper arms, developing this head is non negotiable.
Your side delts lift the arms up to either side of your body between 15-100 degrees, which is why lateral raises are most effective for targeting this head.
Deltoid anterior
Many exercisers find that the best way to perform lateral raises is to lift the dumbbells out but also slightly forward too. This engages the front delts, and it’s a good way to nail both heads at the same time. Although, of course, you want to focus more on the side delts.
Serratus anterior
The boxer’s muscle as they call it… your serratus anterior is actually a fan-shaped chest muscle (most of us never knew that) located in the rib area. Serratus anterior protracts the scapula, like when you throw a punch, and it works with the traps to lift objects overhead.
Upper, middle, and lower trapezius
You may hear to “relax the traps” as to not involve them in lateral raises. But it’s almost impossible to not involve them to some extent. After all, they do help to move the scapula and arms up (upper traps), back (mid traps), and down (lower traps).
Benefits of Band Lateral Raises
Band and other lateral raise variations allow you to give special, detailed attention to your outer delts. Here’s why you need them.
Want rounder delts?
Yeah, we thought so…
While pressing movements are also good for building your shoulders, prioritized, progressive lateral raises are going to help you create that wow factor, and 3D look (especially if you focus on your rear delts too). The side deltoids are also what helps to create your best V-taper, and make your waist appear smaller.
Related: How to Build a V-Taper – Training Guide and Nutrition Tips
Don’t have weights? No problem
Dumbbells can be expensive, and if you don’t train at a gym, you need alternatives. While we do have some out of the box bodyweight only band lateral raise variations for you later in this guide, bands are the most practical. They’re also more affordable, and portable. So you never have an excuse as to why you can train delts with limited equipment.
But even if you train at a gym, you may be too exhausted from heavy presses and other movements to include a few sets of focused side lateral raises. You can also do them at home using your bands when you have free time.
Drawbacks of Band Lateral Raises
There are a few potential negatives to consider when including band lateral raises in your workouts. However, none should deter you from doing them because they do have their place.
Bands lack consistent resistance
A problem absent in free weights, cables, and machines, bands do not provide the same challenge throughout the entirety of a repetition. The aformentioned tools are superior if you train at a gym, but having access to them is not always possible. And that’s okay! All tools can be valuable, and you can always use heavier bands. Plus, the more advanced you are, the more you can make bands work in your training program.
Can’t see the numbers
If you train at home, then the numbers don’t really matter as much as they do if you train at a gym, and are serious about tracking your poundages. With bands, you have to consider foot placement, hand placement, band quality, band wear and tear over time, etc. But you can note all of these things and make adjustments to maximize your band usage.
Common Mistakes When Performing Band Lateral Raises
It’s normal that a beginner exerciser trains below their potential. But these guides are designed to help you avoid common mistakes, and get straight to the good stuff.
Using bands that are too heavy
It’s very common that exercisers, especially beginners use bands that are above their strength capabilities. If you’re stepping on the band with one foot and you are straining to raise your arms, you need a lighter band. You won’t make progress this way and you’ll mess up your shoulders.
A lot of times, when people do band lateral raises, they don’t adjust their stance to give them an optimal workout. While we mentioned it before, move your feet closer together, or use one foot to lighten the resistance. If band raises are too easy for you, spread your feet out wider.
7 Variations and Alternatives of Band Lateral Raises
Here are some different, yet similar exercise variations that mimic band lateral raises. They all work, and will give you more rounded delts. However, we love to use a variety of movements to prevent boredom, and stimulate the same muscles with a different technique, which should maximize your muscular potential.
Single arm band lateral raise
Some exercisers prefer single arm lateral raises because it allows them to focus their attention on one delt at a time. While you can just alternate raising your arms while standing on the band with both feet, you can do cross body lateral raises. To do it, you’ll step on the band with either foot, and then use the opposite side arm to perform the exercise. There are several different ways to do it.
Dumbbell lateral raise
Dumbbell lateral raises will always be a classic variation. But a big supposed form flaw is lowering the arms too far down, and taking tension off the delts. Instead, most experts recommend performing lateral raises in a sweet spot.
You can also use weight plates, or anything two object of similar weight that you have lying around.
Steps
Hold your dumbbells together in front of your body with your palms facing each other, and keep your elbows slightly bent.
Then bend your knees and hips, and lean your upper body slightly forward. Tense your core muscles for stability.
Now, raise your arms up and out to the sides until the weight is about head level. Keep your hands higher than your elbows. Slowly lower the weights back down and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable lateral raise
In many ways, cable lateral raises are better than all of the other variations. It’s the combination of a numbered weight stack, constant muscle tension at every range of motion (if done correctly), various handle/attachment options, and freer range of movement than machines.
Step
Attach a single-grip handle to the lowest point of the cable pulley system.
Stand sideways to the cable pulley and grip the handle with the outside hand.
Either hold onto the cable system and lean away from it or take a step away and remain upright. The cable should have tension before you begin.
Hold the handle in front of or behind your body so that you feel a slight stretch in the delts.
With elbows slightly bent, raise your arm to shoulder level, leading with the elbow.
Slowly lower your arm back down until you feel a stretch in your delts and repeat. Don’t forget to do both sides.
Machine lateral raise
The best option if you don’t want to think too much, just select the weight and go. Lateral raise machines typically have arms with handles that move in a predetermined path, so you don’t have to stabilize the weight. If your gym has one of these machines, we see no reason not to use it.
Bodyweight wall side delt raise
If you don’t have weights, try this variation, as well as the exercise listed below this one. They use just your body weight to train the side delts, but you have to do them correctly, otherwise you can hurt yourself. So, we only recommend them for those with some training experience, and a good understanding of proper form.
Steps
Stand sideways to a wall with your feet together and roughly twelve inches away from the wall.
Then bend the arm closest to the wall at a roughly 90 to 45 degree angle, ball your fist, and lean your body against the wall. Keep your body upright.
Now tense your core muscles, and use your delts to push your body away from the wall. At this point, you can adjust your footing closer to the wall if it’s too hard, or move your feet farther away to make the exercise more challenging.
Complete the set by performing the desired number of reps, then switch sides and repeat. Make sure to alternate to train both sides equally.
You can also do this exercise on a rack or slippery surface like this example.
Side plank lateral raise
A genius idea to train your side delts using your body weight, Jeff Cavaliere of the popular YouTube channel Athlean X introduced this gamechanging variation a few years ago, and it’s a keeper for sure. Rather than lift your arm away from your body, your body is rotating away from your arm. So it essentially does the same thing, just using opposite movement. And your core will also get a great workout.
The drawback is that you need to be decently strong to move a portion of your body weight using your deltoids. There’s no lightening the load or picking the resistance.
Steps
Get in a standard plank position, propped up on your forearms and toes. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe, and you should be looking straight down at the floor.
Now rotate your torso to either side while pushing your forearm into the ground. Your upper body should resemble a side plank.
Return to a standard plank position, but don’t touch the other forearm to the floor. Repeat for the chosen number of reps and switch sides, and do the same thing.
Pro tip: Collapse your body to your left or right side, allowing your body weight to fall onto either shoulder during the negative phase of the exercise, if you want to stretch your delts, as shown in the video example below.
Note: Because of the potential complexity of this variation, we highly recommend watching the following video demonstration, as this exercise can be hard to replicate via written instructions alone.
Shoulder presses
An alternative method of hammering your outer delts is to do overhead presses with your elbows mostly lateral to your body. This guide will show you proper overhead pressing technique for building insane shoulders.
FAQs
Check out the following questions and answers section below, to help you program band lateral raises effectively.
How many sets and reps are best for band lateral raises? Here are the general recommendations for optimal sets and reps based on the desired goal. However, keep in mind, experience, and individual programming will ultimately determine the ideal sets and reps.
Additionally, lateral raises are best performed in a moderate to higher rep range due to the risk of should injury. Therefore, we do not suggest using maximal weight in a 3-5 rep range.
Remember to use a band resistance that challenges you, especially during the last several reps.
Hypertrophy/muscle gains: 2-4 sets x 8-20 reps
Strength focused: 6-8 reps
Muscle conditioning and hypertrophy: 2 sets x 25+ reps
What is the best type of resistance band to use for this exercise? Any long standard resistance band will work whether it’s a looped band or one with handles at the ends. Use what you have, but make sure the resistance is suitable for your experience level.
Wrapping Up
If you want impressive delts that draw eyes, then you need to prioritize shoulder training. That means including isolation work, specifically in the form of lateral raise variations. If you can’t train at a gym, and need a simple, portable way to get the job done, look to resistance band lateral raises.
They’re a great option for dialing in side delt gains, and you can always move up in band strength to continue making progress. Of course, bands do have their drawbacks, but they’re still worth every bit of use.
Band Push-Up Exercise Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Variations
The bodyweight push-up has long been the standard by which calisthenics fitness is measured. However, the one major downside is that once you can do so many, their potency wears off, and you’ll need something more to stimulate gains. Sure you could modify your body position, switch to one-arm push-ups, or slow down your tempo,…
A Dozen Lateral Raise Variations for Wider Shoulders
Wide, defined shoulders are the trademark of a quality physique. They’ll make you look great, whether you’re wearing a tank top or a suit. Well-developed shoulders do more than give you an athletic look. They also enhance your posture, improve your athletic performance and reduce your risk of injury.
To develop width in your shoulders, you need to target the lateral head of the deltoid. The most effective way to do that is with the lateral raise, which moves the muscle through its full range of motion. There are many ways to do the exercise, some of which are more effective than others.
In this article, we examine a dozen different variations of the lateral raise. We’ll show you how to do them for optimal benefit and how to include the lateral raise into your shoulder training routine.
Shoulder Anatomy
The shoulder muscle consists of three heads, each with a different point of origin. That allows each of the three heads to have its own function and range of motion.
That is why you need to be doing specific exercises to target each of the three deltoid heads:
Our focus is on the lateral, or side, delts. So, let’s zoom in on the anatomy of that part of the shoulders.
The lateral head originates on the outer edge of the acromion process. This is where the shoulder blade, clavicle, and humerus (upper arm) join. The lateral head muscle fibers then run down the middle of the shoulder to insert into the deltoid tuberosity at the top of the upper arm. So, we could say the lateral delts make up the ‘meaty’ middle part of your shoulders.
The function of the lateral head is to raise the arms sideways. In technical terms, this is known as ‘lateral abduction of the humerus.’ This action contracts or shortens, bringing the muscle insertion to the origin.
The best exercises to develop the lateral head of the deltoid must follow the natural movement, which is to lift the arms up to the side from a position when the arms are alongside the torso to a point where they are perpendicular to the torso.
That leads us directly to the lateral raise.
Optimized Lateral Raise Form
Spend enough time in the gym, and you will see people doing the lateral raise in all sorts of ways. When we focus on the biomechanics of the muscle, though, we can identify some key form points. The first has to do with how high you should raise your arm.
The main goal of an exercise should be to take the muscle fibers from a point where they are fully extended (or lengthened) to the point when they are fully contracted (or shortened). That point of full contraction with the lateral delt is reached when you bring the arms up to a point where the arm is almost perpendicular.
However, you need to ensure that you keep the shoulder blade static and do not lift it. If the shoulder blade is allowed to rise during the movement (as when you shrug your shoulder blades), then the origin of the lateral deltoid moves away from the upper arm. This makes it hard to contract the muscle.
If you are used to bringing your arm up higher than a point where it is perpendicular to the torso, you should stop doing that. The range of motion of the lateral head is complete when the fibers are fully shortened and so fully contracted when you reach a point about 10-20 degrees less than perpendicular to the torso. If you come up any higher than this, you are actually taking the stress off the lateral head and reducing time under tension.
The start position of the lateral raise should see your arm right at your side. Many people begin with the hand in front of the torso. However, this slightly distorts the shoulder joint without any benefit to the lateral deltoid — it is already fully extended with your arm by your side.
Key Points:
Start with your arms by your side
Finish 10-20 degrees short of a perpendicular arm position
Do not shrug the shoulders — keep the shoulder blade static
12 Best Lateral Raise Exercises
The lateral raise is a simple movement that can be done with a wide range of training equipment, from cables to dumbbells and resistance bands. There are also angle variations that work the lateral delt slightly differently. Here are twelve ways to do this exercise to add width to your frame.
1. One-Arm Cable Lateral Raise
The one-arm cable lateral raise is my favorite lateral raise exercise. That’s because the cable resistance evens out the resistance curve. When you do the exercise with dumbbells, there is very little resistance at the start of the exercise and a whole lot of resistance at the top of the movement. With cables, however, there is a more even resistance curve, so you are challenged throughout the entire range of motion.
For maximum lateral deltoid engagement, set the height of the pulley to about the same height as your wrist in the start position. This means the cable will be perpendicular to the forearm in the first phase of the exercise. This angle makes the exercise hardest at the start of the exercise, where the muscle is strongest, and lightest at the end of the movement, where the muscle is weakest. This is known as early phase loading.
Steps:
Set the pulley on a cable machine to the height of your wrist.
Stand side on to the cable machine, about two feet away from the pulley.
Grab the pulley handle with your outside hand and assume a start position with your hand touching your outer thigh. Place your other hand on your hip and have your feet shoulder-width apart.
Pivot from the shoulder joint to bring your arm directly out to the side, stopping about 19 degrees short of a perpendicular position. Do not bend the elbow or lift the shoulder blade.
Lower under control and repeat.
2. Landmine Lateral Raise
The landmine lateral raise allows you to work the lateral delts through their full range of movement with the added benefits of greater core stability and grip strength development.
Steps:
Place an Olympic barbell into a landmine attachment and load a relatively light weight onto the bar.
Stand side-on to the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart and grab the bar with your closest hand.
Assume a starting position with your straightened arm in front of your torso.
Pivot from the shoulder joint to bring the bar up and out to the side to full arm extension.
Lower and repeat.
3. Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
The dumbbell side lateral raise does an excellent job of moving the side deltoid through its full range of motion, from arms alongside the body position to up to a perpendicular position to the torso. Be sure to have your elbows slightly bent but locked in position throughout the exercise. The only movement should be through the shoulder joint. Don’t use a weight that is too heavy, or you’ll be forced to swing, and make sure you control the dumbbells all the way down to prevent momentum.
Steps:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a pair of dumbbells held at arm’s length.
In the starting position, the dumbbells should be touching your outer thighs with your elbows slightly bent.
Pivot from the shoulder to bring the arms out to just short of perpendicular to the torso.
Lower under control to the start position.
4. Machine Side Lateral Raise
If you are fortunate enough to train at a gym with a side lateral raise machine, you should definitely use it. This version helps you stay strict and keep your range of motion within the maximum muscle stimulation zone for an optimum time under tension. Keep the weight relatively light and focus on feeling the lateral delts burning.
Steps:
Sit on a side lateral machine facing the weight stack. Position the seat so your shoulder joint aligns with the machine’s pivot point. Place your elbows under the pads.
Keeping your spine neutral and your back up against the back pad, press up through the elbows to bring the pads up to a perpendicular position.
Lower under control and repeat.
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise Hold
The lateral raise hold adds a three-second hold in the top position of the movement. This increases your time under tension, adding an isometric contraction element that will set your lateral delts on fire.
Steps:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a pair of dumbbells held at arm’s length.
In the starting position, the dumbbells should be touching your outer thighs with your elbows slightly bent.
Pivot from the elbow to bring the arms out to just short of perpendicular to the torso.
Hold this top position for a three-second count.
Lower under control to the start position.
6. Wall Press Lateral Raise
The wall press lateral raise is a strict version of the exercise that helps eliminate momentum and cheating. Press your non-working hand into the wall to stabilize the body.
Steps:
Stand side onto a wall with your inside hand pressing into it. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand alongside your thigh.
Pivot from the shoulder to bring your arm up and out to the side until it is just short of perpendicular to your torso (no higher).
Lower slowly, resisting the pull of gravity.
Stop at the end of the rep so that you do not allow momentum to carry you into the next rep.
7. Kneeling Lateral Raise
Because it eliminates the lower body from the movement, the kneeling lateral raise is a stricter version of the exercise than the standing lateral raise. If you tend to swing when you do the standing version, give the kneeling option a try.
Steps:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and kneel on the floor with the dumbbells at your sides.
Pivot from the shoulder to bring the arms out to just short of perpendicular to the torso. Maintain an upright position with a neutral spine.
Lower under control to the start position.
8. Y Raise
The Y Raise is a very strict version of the lateral raise that eliminates all potential for momentum. This is a popular shoulder rehab exercise when done with very light weights.
Steps:
Set the weight bench to a 45-degree angle and lie face down on it with a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Hang your arms down over the edge of the bench.
Keeping your arms straight, bring them out on an angle to form a ‘Y’ shape in the top position.
Lower under control and repeat.
9. Band Lateral Raise
The band lateral raise is a good option if you don’t have access to a cable machine or dumbbells. Choose a band that will allow you to do around 15 reps without cheating.
Steps:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a resistance band under your left midfoot. Hold the band with your right hand at your outer thigh. You want the band to be taut in this starting position.
Lift your right arm out to the side, stopping just short of perpendicular to your torso. Do not bend your elbow.
Lower the weight under control back to the starting position.
10. Lying Side Lateral Raise
The lying side lateral is a strict version of the lateral raise. It also provides early phase loading so that the exercise is easier at the beginning than at the end of the movement. This is the opposite resistance curve to the standing dumbbell lateral raise. That’s because the arm is perpendicular to gravity at the end of the movement.
Steps:
Lie on the floor on your side with your legs stacked and a light dumbbell in your upper hand. Hold the weight at arm’s length against your outer thigh. Place your other hand on the floor for support, or use it to cradle your head.
Pivot from the shoulder to bring your arm up to a position just short of being perpendicular to your torso. Keep the shoulder down, and do not bend the elbow.
Lower under control and repeat.
11. 1.5 Rep Lateral Raise
The 1.5 rep lateral raise ramps up the time under tension with the result that you’ll get a greater burn in the delts than the standard rep version. You may have to lighten the weight slightly to keep it strict. This version can be done with any variation of the lateral raise. The following guide uses the dumbbell version.
Steps:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a pair of dumbbells held at arm’s length.
In the starting position, the dumbbells should touch your outer thighs with your elbows slightly bent.
Pivot from the shoulder to bring the arms out to just short of perpendicular to the torso.
Lower under control halfway down.
Bring your arms back to the top position.
Lower to the start position.
12. Plate Lateral Raise
Don’t have dumbbells or a cable machine? No problem; you can still do the lateral raise with a pair of weight plates. Just make sure the weight is manageable enough that you can still resist the pull of gravity on the way down.
Steps:
Grab a pair of weight plates and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the plates in front of your body at arm’s length with your palms facing you. You should have a slight bend in the elbows.
Keeping your arms locked, pivot from the shoulder joint to bring the plates out and up toward shoulder level.
As the plates come up, twist your wrists outward slightly.
Bring your arms up to just short of perpendicular to your torso.
Lower under control.
Shoulder Dumbbell Workout
Here’s a four-exercise workout that hits all three deltoid heads, allowing you to build both size and strength. In addition to the dumbbell side lateral raise, you’ll be doing:
Seated shoulder press for overall delt mass and power
Lying front deltoid press for the front delts
Rear delt flyes for the posterior delts
Here’s a form guide for these exercises:
Seated Shoulder Press
Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench with back support.
With your feet firmly planted on the floor, bring the weights up to shoulder level, with your palms facing forward. Your elbows should form a right angle. Keep your back slightly arched and your shoulder blades against the back pad.
Press the dumbbells directly overhead, stopping just short of lockout.
Lower under control and repeat.
Lying Front Deltoid Press
Set the pulleys on a double cable pulley machine at hip height while seated.
Position a bench about three feet in front of the machine.
Grab the handles with an underhand grip and sit on the bench.
From a starting position with your hands by your hips, scoop your arms up and forward to touch in front of your body.
Lower under control and repeat.
Rear Delt Flyes
Sit on the end of a bench with a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
Lean down to rest your chest on your thighs.
Bring the dumbbells together behind your legs, with your arms slightly bent..
Pivot from the shoulder joint to bring your arms out and up to shoulder level. Do not bend at the elbows.
Lower under control and repeat.
The Workout:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Seated Shoulder Press
4
12,10,8,6
Lying Front Deltoid Press
6
30, 20, 15, 10
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises
6
30, 20, 15, 10
Rear Delt Flyes
6
30, 20, 15, 10
The first exercise, the seated press, is your overall mass and strength builder. You should do four sets that are pyramided from 12 to 6. Add weight on each succeeding set. You should have a rep left in the tank’ on all but the last set of six, which should be an all-out max effort.
The next three exercises each target one of the three heads of the deltoids. The weight should be moderate, and the reps higher than an exercise that hits the entire muscle group. Ranging your reps from 30 to 10 allows you to work both the fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers for complete hypertrophy. You do not want to use a weight that you can do for less than 10 reps because it will probably lead to momentum and compromised form on these isolation-type movements.
You should perform this shoulder dumbbell workout twice weekly, allowing three days between sessions. That will provide enough time for the muscle to recover before the next bombardment!
It might seem that doing 22 sets is going overboard on a relatively small muscle group like the shoulders. We need to remember, however, that the deltoids are unique because of the separate origin points of the three heads. That, in effect, means that you are essentially working three different muscle groups in order to hit all three heads.
Wrap Up
The lateral raise is the only exercise you need to build awesome lateral deltoids. That’s because it moves the muscle head through its full range of motion. The biggest problem that I see with this exercise is people going too heavy. You need to use a weight that will still allow you to resist the pull of gravity on the way down. If you can’t, the weight is too heavy.
The best lateral raise variation is the one-arm cable lateral raise. If you’ve got access to a cable machine, I highly recommend using this as your standard movement. Then experiment with the 11 other versions to find the two or three that work best for you and rotate through them to add variety. Use a rep range between 10 and 30, keep it strict, and you’ll be rewarded with the wider, fuller shoulders that you’re aiming for.
Band Seated Row Exercise Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Variations
Resistance bands and (back) home workouts go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Especially because of the space and money needed for a good home gym setup. Exercises like band seated rows and similar variations take up no space (a band weighs little and can fit anywhere) and cost no more than a Jackson ($20 bill), yet they are so effective. Additionally, finding good and challenging exercises for the back at home (especially without a pull-up bar, or the ability to do one) requires more work.
The mighty band is the answer and this guide tells you why, and how to utilize band seated rows to get those back gains.
Muscles Worked During Band Seated Rows
Everything from your waist and up gets a piece of stimulation from band seated rows. Learn about the benefits of training each muscle and how they interact to assist during the exercise.
Infraspinatus – Part of the shoulder blade, infraspinatus helps form the shoulder area, while helping to keep it mobile and stable. Rows involve shoulder motion, which recruits infraspinatus.
Latissimus Dorsi – A massive muscle by surface area, latissimus dorsi or lats cover as much of the upper and lower back. It spreads out to the sides behind the arms, and is a major activator during pull movements, especially pull-ups.
Teres Major – The teres major forms a bridge from the scapula (shoulder blades) to the humerus (upper arm bone). This muscle partners with the latissimus dorsi above to perform extension, adduction, and internal rotation of the humerus.
Teres Minor – Found above teres major, minor also connects from scapula to upper arm bone. However, unlike major, the latter is a rotator cuff muscle that contributes to shoulder joint stability and function.
Trapezius Lower Fibers – As the name tells, traps are a trapezoid shaped muscles divided in three sections, upper, middle, and lower fibers. The lower traps do downward movement of the scapula, and help the upper traps move it upward. Rows effectively light the traps on fire!
Trapezius Middle Fibers – Above the lower fibers are the middle trapezius that draw the scapula back during rows, really emphasizing these muscles.
Brachialis – One of the best side effects of back training is the arm muscles come along for the ride. Brachialis is hidden under the outer biceps and come out on a lean physique. But aside from aesthetics, brachialis is a powerful arm flexor, bending the elbow during band seated rows, and all similar movements.
Brachioradialis – Contributing to grip performance, brachioradialis inhabits the upper and lateral forearm where it crosses the elbow, functioning to bend the arm, and supine/pronate the forearm. Pulls and curls will naturally build and strengthen these lower arm muscles.
Deltoid Posterior – If you include rows in your workouts, you can bet the rear delts will benefit too. While there are three heads that make up your shoulder, the posterior head supports rearward arm movements, while the front head lifts the arm forward, and the lateral head lifts the arm out to the side.
Deltoid lateral – Your middle delts also get an intense workout from band rows. This head gives width and roundness to the upper body, and raises the arms out to the sides.
Other muscles involved – Aside from the primary muscles worked, band seated rows also engage the rectus abdominis (six pack muscles) and oblique muscles to keep your torso strong. This creates better force transfer, and muscular efficiency.
How To Do Band Seated Rows
To do band seated rows, you need the right tools, that include a quality resistance band, and a sturdy base like a power rack, thin pole, or even your feet if you can do it safely. And that’s half of it! The actual movement is not difficult, and most people can do it.
Below we’ve listed detailed band seated row steps and a short video demonstration.
Steps
Sit on the floor, a bench, or whatever is most comfortable for you.
Wrap one end of the resistance band around an immovable object like a power rack post, machine, or small pole. Then grab the other end and make sure both sides are even. The band should be at a height between your belly button and lower chest.
Move back to stretch the band, and do a few practice reps. The band should still be stretched when your arms are fully extended forward.
Sit up straight and pull your shoulders back.
Pull your elbows back behind your body, and squeeze your back muscles hard.
Stretch your arms forward and repeat steps 5 and 6 until you’ve completed the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
Having a platform to press your feet against is ideal if using very heavy resistance, to keep your body stable, and give you more pulling power.
You can also wrap looped bands under the bottom of your feet if you don’t have an object or base like a pole or piece of equipment.
Any type of band can work for this exercise.
Make sure the band is always stretched, to challenge and stretch your back muscles during the eccentric or negative phase of each rep.
This Exercise:
Target Muscle Group: Back
Secondary Muscles: Biceps, forearms
Type: Hypertrophy
Mechanics: Isolation
Equipment: Resistance band and solid base (optional)
Difficulty: Beginner
Benefits of Band Seated Rows
There is little to no reason not to incorporate band seated rows in your workouts. Here are the benefits that first come to mind when we think of this super effective exercise.
Resistance bands are versatility GOAT!
When we say the options are endless, it’s no exaggeration. Resistance bands are the GOAT (greatest of all time) of versatility. Not to mention they come in different forms, and levels of resistance.
If you have the right bands to match your strength level, and know what you’re doing, you can build as much muscle as you want. Of course, they do have some drawbacks as well, which we mentioned below. But overall, for the money and advantages, it’s hard to beat training bands for certain exercises.
Check out these resistance bands that we reviewed.
No excuse not to train your back
Without a pull-up bar or weights, one might say you’re screwed if training at home. While you should always find a way to train your back, and there are options, a five dollar band can be a gamechanger.
Not training your back and just doing push-ups, ad no rear training, is a recipe for muscle imbalance both functionally and aesthetically.
Comfort of movement
Unlike bulky weights or a bar that doesn’t move past your belly, using bands is arguably more comfortable. Consequently, you can focus on getting an amazing contraction.
Extremely user-friendly
99 percent of the population can do band seated rows. There’s not much to it, yet the benefits are worth it! In fact, similar variations are used for rehab purposes, because it’s so user-friendly.
Cheap and effective back workout
A resistance band can cost as low as a few bucks. There’s no reason not to have a few in your closet!
On the same side of the token, you get a fantastic upper body workout using bands and all of the possible variations. It’s much more practical for people who may not have the funds or time for gym training.
Drawbacks of Band Seated Rows
The pros outweigh the cons for sure. But we cannot ignore the few drawbacks of banded training.
Harder to gauge progress
One significant negative of resistance band exercises is that many people don’t take them seriously. Bands are not just a warm up or stretching device. They offer several levels of resistance, and can help to change your physique if you use them like other training tools.
When training with bands, you should make note of how far you are from the anchor point (where you attach the bands), and use a heavier strength band as you progress.
Try this Full-Body Resistance Band Workout For Home Exercisers
Bands are not as consistent…
Unlike free weights and machines, bands resistance is lighter at the start of a rep, and harder as it stretches out. Of course, you should pre-stretch the bands before starting the exercise, but more experienced exercisers know how to do it best.
Band training still requires technique to do right!
Another downside to band training is they can wear out, which may reduce their strength. Overall, though, for the person looking to improve their fitness, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Common Mistakes When Performing Band Seated Rows
Don’t make these mistakes and you’ll be good to go with band seated rows!
Sitting too close to the base
When using resistance bands, they should always be stretched, whether a little or a lot. You don’t want to sit too close to the base (where the other end of the band is wrapped around) so that when you reach forward, the band becomes un-stretched.
Using too much resistance
Ego training is nothing new. In fact, we’ve all done it and still do. Then there are the less experienced who don’t know any better.
That’s why it’s more important to focus on range of motion first, and then training heavy later. You’ll train the muscles correctly, get the most benefit, and also prevent pulling or injuring a muscles.
Mediocre range of motion
You should be training your back muscles through their entire range of motion. Otherwise, you won’t get a good stretch in your lats and surrounding muscles, shorting the potential of both phases of a rep that contribute to strength and hypertrophy gains!
Variations and Alternatives of Band Seated Rows
Band rows are typically for home or mobile training purposes. These variations and alternatives are superior at the gym, or if you can afford more hefty training equipment.
Standing band row
For a more athletic and functional variation, simply do the banded row while standing. You should also mix in training on your feet as it helps to develop and maintain our human ability to perform natural feats.
Steps
Secure the band around an object, and grip both ends evenly while standing on your feet.
With your arms outstretched in front of you, take a step or two back to stretch the band, and bend at the hips and knees. You can use a staggered stance with one foot forward and the other behind. Or, you can stand with your feet roughly shoulder width apart.
Push your chest up and keep your shoulders back, then pull your hands past your ribs and contract your back muscles.
Extend your arms forward until you feel a little stretch in your back muscles, and then repeat.
Below is a video example of standing rows, plus there are a few kneeling variations that remove leg involvement, focusing on just the upper body.
Standing bent over row
The best and most convenient banded row is the standing version that requires nothing but you and a band.
Steps
Grab the bands in both hands, and stand evenly on the center of the band with your feet shoulder width apart, then make sure both sides are the same length. Move your feet closer or further apart as needed. Just make sure there’s always tension in the band.
Bend your knees and hips then lean your torso forward at a roughly 45-degree angle to the floor.
Retract your shoulder blades, and straighten your back.
Tense your core, and drive your elbows back behind you, keeping them slightly flared out.
Squeeze your back muscles, stretch your arms back to the starting position, then repeat.
Cable seated row
The obvious closest variation or alternative to band seated rows is the cable version. Most people don’t own a cable machine, but a gym membership will give you access to one.
Overall, there are more advantages to using cables than bands. These include more handle options, a numbered weight stack, and equal resistance from start to finish of each rep. Additionally, cable training is more natural than using machines that lock you in a single movement path.
Machine seated row
Another must have in your back training rotation, the major advantage of machine rows include being locked in. That makes it very user friendly, eliminating the need to balance, stabilize, or think too much. Just sit, adjust the seat, assume proper training posture, and start rowing. The machine takes care of everything else.
Note: There are different machine variations, so you may need to read the machine label or ask for assistance.
Inverted suspension row
Almost as versatile as resistance bands, TRX trainers and similar alternative suspension trainers make it possible to do rows at home using your body’s resistance.
Ideally, you can set up your trainer in an area that allows you enough space to move freely, and consequently perform more advanced exercises. However, you can do an easier version if all you have is a door to hook your straps to.
Steps
Setup your suspension trainer so that it’s roughly about waist-height. Sit on the floor below the straps. Then grab the handles, allow your arms to fully extend, and place your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your knees to your head.
Tense your core tight, bend your arms and pull your body up to the handles. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your wrists straight.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Pro tip: Build more strength and size by elevating your feet up onto a bench, or wear a weighted vest to add more resistance.
Related: Best TRX Back Exercises For a Thick Rock-Solid Back
Free weight rows
In its various forms, using dumbbells and barbells to perform row variations will get you the back you deserve. They’re more raw in nature, require total body activation, and recruit a ton of core. Additionally, you can buy a cheap barbell set for home training.
Check out our back training workouts that include a lot of free weight row variations.
FAQs
Are band seated rows as good as cable seated rows? Overall, cable rows have some major advantages over banded rows. However, for home training purposes, resistance bands are a viable tool that gets the job done when used ad progressed correctly.
What’s the best sets and reps for band seated rows? There’s no perfect one size fits all recommendation because we all have different goals. However, the majority of people will benefit from the following sets and rep ranges.
Note: We do recommend having a strategy in place to mix up the rep ranges, ad benefit from each one.
Strength: 3-4 sets x 5-7 reps
Hypertrophy and a little strength: 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps
Muscle endurance: 2-3 sets x 15+ reps
What type of band should I use for band seated rows? Almost any type of resistance band will work. Choose one based on your preference and budget.
Wrapping Up
By now you should be convinced of how awesome band seated rows are for building a sexier posterior! If you’ve ever trained at home, or prefer to make gains at home, it’s going to be a key tool in your back training arsenal. But the seated band row is just one band variation, and you should try the others that we also included in this guide.
Make sure to read through this article to understand the benefits and drawbacks of band seated rows, and always use a variety of exercises and techniques to reap the full benefits of training.
Machine Lateral Raise Exercise Guide: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations
What do Superman, Batman, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, and most other macho superheroes have in common? All of them have round, big, and full shoulders. You’ll never see a superhero that oozes masculinity with sloping shoulders. We’d go as far as to say that most of these heroes have a machine lateral raise in their training equipment…
PNBA Athlete Joe Carabase Shares 6 Exercises to Explode Your Shoulders and Biceps
Image via Instagram @joecarabase
PNBA athlete Joe Carabase has 6 movements for you if you want bigger biceps and shoulders.
Muscular biceps and shoulders vastly enhance your physique. The more muscle you have in your shoulders, the broader you are, and of course, the more muscles you have in your biceps, the better flexes you can do. Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Joe Carabase has 3 shoulder exercises and 3 biceps exercises that you should try for your next arm workout.
Joe Carabase recently made his pro debut in the PNBA at INBA PNBA Pro/Am Internationals in Oakville, CT, on August 20th, 2022. He received second in his division and looks ahead to make improvements for Pro/Am Natural Universe in Tampa, FL, on September 2-3.
Of course, Carabase’s muscular and ripped biceps and shoulder played a crucial part in becoming a professional natural bodybuilder and placing well at his recent show. Fortunately, Carabase shared 3 shoulders and biceps exercises on his social media that anyone can add to their routine. Carabase stated:
“These 3 variations kicked my a$$ today!
1). Arnold Press
2). Viking Press (I used Hack Squat today)
3). Reverse Press —-this one! And @bgf_lirio got me doing reps for dayyyyyyyys.”
“Hit this Biceps Tri-Set to DEFINE your arms! The name of this game is VOLUME.
Hit 45 seconds per exercise per arm, rest only 15 seconds for 3 total rounds:
1). Seated hammer curl
2). Concentration curls
3). Supine curls”
Joe Carabara’s 6 Exercises
Joe Caraba performed Arnold, Viking, and reverse press for his shoulders. And seated hammer curl, concentration curls, and supine curls for his biceps.
Arnold Press
They don’t call it “Arnold” press for nothing. This movement hits multiple angles of your deltoids and allows you to use moderately heavy weight. It separates this one from others because it will enable you to activate all three deltoid muscles–posterior, lateral, and anterior.
Viking Press
Viking press is another shoulder exercise that doesn’t coin its name for anything. Viking presses will give you a massive boost in your shredding and growing shoulders. In addition, this movement removes wrist pain from the equation, placing more tension on your core and less stress on your back.
Reverse Press
The starting position to this one is similar to the Arnold press (palms facing you), except you won’t be externally rotating when you press up. So it’s pretty much the exact opposite of a standard shoulder press.
Hammer Curl
This biceps movement is a neutral grip (palms facing each other), so it builds your forearms and allows you to use a heavier weight. Plus, it reduces wrist pain compared to standard biceps curls.
Concentration Curls
This great stabilizing and isolation bicep movement allows an excellent mind-muscle connection to strengthen each side of your biceps and correct any lagging muscle.
Supine Curls
Since this movement is seated, it will prevent other muscle groups from aiding you during the lift and force your biceps to lift the weight. A supinated grip (palms facing up) will target your biceps’ short head.
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Seated Lateral Raises for Big Delts
Boulder Shoulders Start with Seated Lateral Raises
What is a key component in creating the iconic v-taper physique? Shoulder size. So you want to give your shoulders that 3-dimensional look, you want broad rounded shoulders, you want them to really stand out to make your physique look complete. Without those big shoulders, what will you look like? Sure your arms can be big, but without Death Star delts, they will not look fully developed. But, how do you build them?
The shoulder is composed of three different parts, the anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, and posterior deltoid. The anterior is your front, lateral, is your side, and posterior is the rear.
There are so many exercises to do to blow your shoulders up like barbell military press, the Arnold press, rear delt flies, but you cannot forget to throw in the classic and simple, but largely effective exercise: the seated lateral raise.
In this article we are going to cover just exactly how to properly perform the seated lateral raise; what you need for the exercise, sets and reps, everything you need to know to build that broadness.
Table of Contents
How to perform the seated lateral raise
Benefits of the seated lateral raise
Who should use the seated lateral raise
FAQs
How to do the Seated Lateral Raise
There are a few things to cover as far as completing the exercise. Let’s start by checking out what you need.
The Tools
Starting off with the equipment you need to complete the seated lateral raise, there are a few simple things on the list. For starters, you need a bench. It is a seated exercise, so the bench is key here, because well, that is what you’ll be sitting on during the exercise. Next, you’ll need some dumbbells, or kettlebells if you so desire.
The Setup
Setting up the Seat: You can put the bench vertically so your back will rest against it, or you can lay the bench flat so you will be sitting upright with no back support.
Grab Your Dumbbells: You can do this exercise one handed or use both
Sit Upright: Place your feet flat on the floor and arms at your sides. Your body should be in an L shape
Raise the Weight: Raise the dumbbells, or dumbbell if you are doing a single arm variation. Bring them up to shoulder height, your hands should be level with your shoulders
Reset and Repeat: Control the weight back down to your sides and repeat this motion.
Pro Tip: For a visual representation of the exercise check out this video from Tiger Fitness on the seated lateral raise:
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Sets and Reps
The seated lateral raise is not a lift to be going too heavy on. It is something you want good form, and controlled reps (for the most part but we will cover this later). In fact, it is more often recommended to go lighter, with higher reps and more controlled form. The medial head of the deltoid is not a large muscle, so it does not require massive loads to grow.
Simply put, you can try out 3-4 sets of 15-20 controlled reps. If you are more experienced and have a good mind to muscle connection, you can increase the weight and focus on sets of 12-15 reps.
If you are more advanced, you can maybe even kick it up a notch and do sets of 10-12, then take your sets to failure, or do partial reps after your full reps are completed. It all depends on your goals as far as strength and hypertrophy.
Benefits of the Seated Lateral Raise
There are plenty of benefits that stem from such a simple movement. The seated lateral raise brings not only size and isolation, but also health benefits to the table. Let’s dive in.
Muscular Hypertrophy
As stated before, if hypertrophy is your goal and you want to build boulder shoulders, the seated lateral raise is a great incorporation. There are so many exercises that blast the front and rear delts, but seated lateral raises build up that middle part of the delt, the part that is heavily associated with creating a more v-tapered look in the physique.
Specific Muscle Targeting
Being that the shoulder is made up of three distinct parts, all of them need to be hit individually in order to grow. The seated lateral raise is a great isolation exercise for the middle part (lateral deltoid) of the shoulder, which can be tricky to hit sometimes. If you are performing your seated lateral raises properly, that middle part of your delt will get absolutely demolished and have no choice but to grow.
Shoulder Health
You always want a healthy body. Healthy shoulders are a huge plus because you use your shoulders for so much throughout the day, maybe even without realizing it. Someone with perfectly healthy shoulders is able to perform all ranges of motion painlessly and with stability.
The seated lateral raise challenges and stimulates shoulder stability, in the rotator cuff in particular, as well as the range of motion. This contributes to overall shoulder health.
Who Should Use the Seated Lateral Raise?
Quite honestly, there is no real limit or restriction on who should or should not incorporate this exercise into their regiment. Still, let’s explore the different demographics.
Bodybuilders
A bodybuilder is judged on their physique, and if that physique is not complete, then the judging will more than likely not be in their favor. One thing sought after in the sport of bodybuilding is the v-taper, and as discussed before, the v-taper is greatly contributed to through developed shoulders. The seated lateral raise can be a key component in developing the hypertrophy of the shoulders and pushing them to become more filled out to achieve that iconic v-shape.
Weightlifting Athletes
The weightlifting demographic can be comprised of powerlifters, crossfitters, Olympic lifters; athletes that are overhead pressing weight in some way. Being that the seated lateral raise can contribute to overall shoulder health, it could be a good idea for athletes that focus on heavy overhead presses to incorporate these into their programming. The seated lateral raise can also serve as a nice alternative to overhead pressing to still gain/maintain muscle in the shoulders without beating down the shoulders as much as a movement like an overhead press.
The Average Gym Goer
Sure, athletes like bodybuilders and weightlifters can benefit from the seated lateral raise, but what about the people just in the gym to stay in shape, be healthy, or look good? Yes! The seated lateral raise is something that everyone can benefit from, no matter your status in the gym. Training shoulders can be intimidating to some as there are so many movements to hit all three heads. The lateral raise is great, simple movement for getting started and getting those shoulders pumped up and developing the overall muscle.
Seated Lateral Raise FAQs
The seated lateral raise is a relatively simple exercise, yes, but you still may have some questions surrounding the movement that you want answered. So, let’s take a look.
Partial Reps and Sets to Failure
Is it a good idea to perform partial reps, or even take your sets to failure when performing the seated lateral raise? Actually, on this movement, it could be beneficial to perform partial reps and sets to failure.
Once you are fatigued from completing the movement with a full range of motion, you can perform partials. This is done by moving the weights six to eight inches from your sides but keeping the tension on the lateral head of the shoulders. You can do this for a set number of reps, or do it until you cannot anymore.
Training Tip: Check out this video from the late John Meadows on doing partial reps during side lateral raises:
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How Often can I do Seated Lateral Raises
This is heavily dependent on your experience in the gym. If you are new to the gym, one to two times per week for the movement is plenty of stimulation to a muscle that is rather small. As you grow more experienced in the gym, you may need to increase frequency to see progression. But, if you are too sore, it is best to rest before hitting some seated lateral raises again!
More on Shoulders
Seated lateral raises are only one movement for your shoulders, but there are plenty more to choose from! Don’t miss out on the rest of our shoulder workouts:
Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise – Exercise Guide
Front Dumbbell Raise – Exercise Guide
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – Exercise Guide
References
Deltoid muscles: What are they, anatomy, Location & Function. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21875-deltoid-muscles
Ferri, B. (2022, July 4). The anatomy of the deltoid muscle. Verywell Health. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/deltoid-muscle-anatomy-4688693