Purpose of Bent Over Lateral Raises
The bent over lateral raise is an isolation exercise designed to target the rear deltoid/back of shoulder.
Equipment Needed to Perform Bent-Over Lateral Raises
The only equipment required to perform bent over lateral raises is a matching set of dumbbells.
Difficulty of Bent Over Lateral Raises
On a scale of 1 to 5, bent-over lateral raises would be about a 2.
Isolation exercises in which only one joint is primarily in motion do not require much in terms of coordination, but in this case, the bent over position does increase the demand on stability – meaning other muscles that aren’t directly involved will have to work harder just to enable you to perform the exercise effectively.
How to do Bent Over Lateral Raises
With a dumbbell in each hand, begin by bending over at the hips, while slightly bending at the knee, so that your torso is near parallel with the floor.
With your arms hanging down towards the floor, initiate the movement by applying force in an attempt to raise the dumbbells directly out to the side of your body – think as if you are trying to touch each wall in the building you are in.
Raise the dumbbells until your upper arm is parallel with the floor, at which point you want to hold them there for a split second before allowing them to be slowly lowered back to the starting position.
Key Points When Performing Bent Over Lateral Raises
- Bend forward at the hips, slightly bending at the knees, until your torso is parallel with the floor.
- Raise the dumbbells directly out to your side until upper arms are parallel with the floor.
- Pause at the end range of motion before slowly returning the dumbbells to the starting position.
How Many Reps When Performing Bent Over Lateral Raises
Isolation exercises like the bent over lateral raise are best when used in conjunction with weights that allow for at least 10 quality reps to be performed.
If the weight exceeds a certain threshold when targeting as small a muscle as the rear deltoid, it can become very easy to unintentionally involve larger, stronger muscles, like those of the mid-back in this case.
Common Mistakes When Performing Bent Over Lateral Raises
Some of the more common mistakes when performing bent-over lateral raises are:
- Using too much weight – the rear deltoid is a very small, and weak muscle, in relation to other nearby muscles located on the back, which is why lighter weights are ideal if the goal is to target this small, weak muscle. Because the other nearby muscles are significantly stronger, it can create the desire to use more weight than is possible to use properly, because even a small increase in load beyond that which is optimal can result in other muscles taking over, and dominating the movement.
- Not bending over enough – to compensate for fatigue, or having selected too much weight (see point number 1), one will extend more through the hips to bring their torso to a more upright, and stronger position (which decreases the amount of resistance that directly opposes the direction of effort the rear deltoid is responsible for).
- Using the hips to generate momentum – one of the most common forms of cheating when performing bent over movements is to use the hips to generate momentum to help propel the weight through space, which does nothing more than decrease the demand on the desired muscle groups.
Modifications to Bent Over Lateral Raises
The primary modification to the bent-over lateral raise has to do with hand position. There’s no right, or wrong hand position, but depending on your goal you can choose to have your hands face each other (neutral grip), or have them pronated (thumbs facing each other).
The neutral position will promote a stronger shortening of the rear deltoid, while the pronated positon will promote a stronger stretching of the rear deltoid – in either case, the difference in the results you get will be too small for the naked eye to see, but you should choose based on the grip you feel most.
When to do Bent Over Lateral Raises
If you train your shoulders on their own day, the bent-over lateral raise can be placed at any point during the session, depending on your primary focus of that workout – if the rear deltoids are a priority, then this exercise can be used first in the routine, and if they are the least bit of a priority, they can be used last in the routine.
If you split your shoulder work onto separate days, with the rear deltoids being paired up with the back, then this exercise should be used near the end of the routine, to avoid limiting your back workout – unless of course the rear deltoids are a primary focal point for you.
Alternatives to Bent Over Lateral Raises
The primary alternate to the bent-over lateral raise would be the incline rear delt raise, as both effectively target the rear deltoids in a similar nature.
Bent Over Lateral Raises vs. Incline Rear Delt Raise
The primary difference between bent over lateral raises these two exercises is that one requires nothing more than a pair of dumbbells, while the other requires a pair of dumbbells and an adjustable bench.
The benefit to not using the incline bench is that you can use a little body English to help extend the set when you begin to fatigue – just don’t rely fully on momentum.
The benefit to using the bench is that is dramatically lessens the demand on the lower back, which is ideal for those who have back problems – although those with severe back problems may want to avoid these options altogether and opt for something more back-friendly like the reverse pec-deck.
Bent Over Lateral Raises vs. Bent Over Cable Lateral Raise
Bent over lateral raises and bent over cable lateral raises are very similar in that they are both done standing up and both isolate the rear deltoids.
The difference is that bent over lateral raises are done with dumbbells and performed with both arms at the same time, whereas bent over cable lateral raises are done with cables and one arm is performed at a time.
Bent Over Lateral Raise vs. Reverse Pec Deck
Bent over lateral raises use free weights whereas revere pec deck requires a machine. But they both target the rear deltoids. Bent over lateral raise involve the spinal erectors and back muscles, whereas the reverse pec deck does not.