Shrugging
Keep your shoulders depressed and stop at shoulder height so the traps do not take over.
Isolation · Machine
Machine Lateral Raise
The machine lateral raise lifts your arms out to the sides against padded levers, isolating the side delts. It provides consistent tension through the range and suits anyone wanting wider shoulders without the swinging that often creeps into dumbbell raises.
- Primary
- Side Delts
- Starting rep range
- 12–20 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 2.5 kg / one stack step
Muscles worked
The side delts lift the arm away from the body. The upper traps assist when you raise past shoulder height or shrug, so stopping near shoulder level keeps the focus on the delts.
How to set up
- Adjust the seat so the machine's pivot lines up with your shoulder joint.
- Sit with your chest against the pad or back against the support, depending on the machine.
- Place the outside of your arms or elbows against the pads with a slight bend.
- Hold the handles lightly.
How to do each rep
- Raise your arms out to the sides, leading with your elbows.
- Stop at or just above shoulder height.
- Pause, then lower slowly over 2-3 seconds.
- Keep your shoulders down and avoid shrugging.
Common machine lateral raise mistakes
Misaligned pivot
Adjust the seat height until the machine's axis matches your shoulder joint.
Dropping the weight
Control the lowering instead of letting the stack fall.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the machine lateral raise at 12–20 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Use 12-20 reps and add the smallest increment available once all sets are clean. Side delts recover well, so frequent sessions work.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Machine Lateral Raise alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Machine vs dumbbell lateral raise?
The machine gives steady tension and is harder to cheat on; dumbbells are more available and adjustable. Both build side delts well.
How many sets of lateral raises for wider shoulders?
Around 6-12 sets per week across two or three sessions is a reasonable range for most lifters.