Ah, yes, the lateral raises on the machine. I don't think any of the weight rooms I've worked in had a lateral raise machine, so finding one at a commercial gym or hotel gym always felt like a guilty pleasure.
It's a simple machine, but credit where credit is due, it does a great job focusing on the middle delts.
As great as machine lateral raises are, sometimes you might need an alternative. The most obvious reason is that you don't have access to a lateral raise machine. If you train at home, there's a 99.9% chance you don't have one of those big, expensive machines just for laterals.
Don't worry, you are in the right place. I'm about to share with you 11 of my favorite machine side raise alternatives.
Alternatives to lateral raises on the machine
I've tried to add as much variety as possible to this list of alternative exercises. I've included exercises that use a variety of equipment, from barbells to dumbbells to resistance bands. There are beginner-friendly moves and moves for more advanced lifters.
The first few exercises are different variations of lateral raises using different machines. The rest are other exercises that target the shoulders and upper back, and they tend to get more and more out of the box the further you go down the list.
My goal is that no matter what gear you have access to or how much experience you have, at least one of these machine side raise replacement options will do well for what you are looking for.
Lateral raises with dumbbells
Equipment needed
- dumbbells
instructions
- Hold the dumbbells palms inward, arms straight down at your sides.
- Raise the dumbbells slightly above shoulder height in a semi-circle motion and tilt the head of the dumbbell down.
- Take a short break, then lower yourself to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Keep your arms straight with just a slight bend in your elbows.
- Use the same path to continue repeated repeats.
- Exhale up, inhale down.
coaching points
Focus on the medial deltoidLateral raises with dumbbells, making sure your palms stay at the top of the movement. Many lifters like to pull back rather than lift straight out, which brings the stronger muscles of the upper back into play.
Also, always start the movement at the side of the thigh. Bringing the dumbbells in front of your body allows for a stronger swing swing and takes the pressure off the delts.
Lateral raises on the cable
Equipment needed
- cable machine
How one
- First adjust the cable machine to the appropriate weight and attach the handle to the lower pulley.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and reach across your body to grab the handle, palm down*.
- Keeping your elbow slightly bent, lift the weight to the side of your body until your arm is parallel to the floor.
- Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
coaching points
*Lateral raises on the cablecan be done one arm at a time, or both arms at once if you have a double tower. The instructions above assume one arm at a time, but the instructions are basically the same if you're doing both arms at the same time.
To keep the focus on the medial delt, make sure to keep your palms at the top of the movement. Many lifters like to pull back rather than lift straight out, which brings the stronger muscles of the upper back into play.
Lateral lifting of the band
Equipment needed
- resistance band
instructions
- Stand on the middle of the resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ends of the band in each hand*.
- Keep your palms to your body and your elbows slightly bent. This is your starting position.
- Slowly raise your arms to the side until they are parallel to the floor.
- Hold this position for a moment and then slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions.
coaching points
while doingBand lateral raisesIf your resistance band isn't long enough to use both arms at the same time, simply stand on the band and raise one arm at a time instead.
Keep your core engaged and avoid swinging your arms or using momentum to lift the band. This will help isolate the muscles in your shoulders and get the most benefit from the exercise.
You can adjust the resistance of the band by changing your posture or using a band with different resistance levels.
Upright row with the barbell
Equipment needed
- dumbbell
- Bumper Plates (or Iron Plates if the bar doesn't fall after the sets)
Step by step instructions
- Hold the bar about shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the barbell with your palms down.
- Start with the bar at arm's length.
- Bend your knees slightly.
- Pull the bar up along your stomach and chest to your chin.
- At the top, the elbow should be higher than the wrist and over the shoulders.
- Slowly and in a controlled manner, lower the bar to the front of your thighs.
- Don't jerk.
- Keep the bar close to your torso.
coaching points
I see by far the biggest mistakeUpright row with the barbellswings way too much to lift the bar. A little swing is fine when trying to work out the last rep or two of a set.
However, if you have to rock your upper body with each rep, the weight is too heavy. Take some weight off the bar and use proper form.
Upright row with dumbbells
Equipment needed
- dumbbells
Step by step instructions
- Grab two dumbbells and start with them at arm's length in front of your thighs, palms facing your body.
- Bend your knees slightly and stand upright with good posture.
- Pull the dumbbells up along your stomach and chest to your chin.
- At the top, the elbow should be higher than the wrist and over the shoulders.
- Lower the barbells and controls to the front of the thighs.
- Don't "jerk" or "rock" the weight up, and keep the dumbbells close to your torso throughout.
coaching points
I see by far the biggest mistakeUpright row with dumbbellsswings far too much to lift the weight.
A little swing is fine if you're trying to work out the last rep or reps of a set, but if you have to rock your upper body for each rep, the weight is too heavy. Grab some lighter dumbbells and use proper form.
front press
Equipment needed
- dumbbell
- Bumper Plates oder Iron Plates
instructions
- The grip should be shoulder width apart.
- Elbows should be under the bar.
- The torso should be erect.
- Move the rod out of the rack.
- Keep your chest up.
- Squeeze the bar to full elbow extension.
- Once the bar passes your head - "pull your head through" - so that the bar locks in place just above your ears.
- Keep the elbow out to the side until the arms are fully extended.
- Don't force your elbow out.
- Slowly and in a controlled manner, lower the bar to shoulder height.
- Don't jerk or bounce on the ground.
Coaching points (common mistakes)
I can see the biggest mistakefront pressesarches the back and leans back too much (hyperextension of the spine). This puts unnecessary strain on the lower back, which should be avoided.
Personally, I like to use a staggered pose because I feel it helps me not to lean too far back and put that stress on my lower back. It's a technique I've often used on athletes who have had the same problem. If that's an issue for you too, I would definitely recommend trying a staggered pose.
The other common mistake I see is bending the knees and overusing the legs. A slight bend is fine, especially if you're trying to squeeze out the last rep or two of the set. However, if the exercise is more like a push press than a shoulder press, the weight should be lowered.
Arnold Presse
Equipment needed
- dumbbells
- Bench (If you prefer to do the Arnold Press while seated, but you can also do the exercise while standing)
Step-by-step instructions
- Stand* with the dumbbells next to you.
- Hinge and waist and bend knees until you can grab the dumbbells.
- Maintaining a neutral spine and nice flat back, raise the dumbbells to your press position.
- You start with the palms facing you.
- As you push the dumbbells up, rotate the dumbbells as you push, and at the top of the movement, your palms are facing away.
- As you lower the dumbbells back to the start, rotate the dumbbells until your palms are facing you.
coaching points
*Arnold Presscan also be done seated as in the video above.
This is an exercise programmed for hypertrophy. Control the weight and focus on time under tension. This one will burn, so grit your teeth and enjoy!
Hold the core as you push. If you find yourself arching your back as you approach lockout, consider reducing your weight.
Dumbbell curl and press
Equipment needed
- dumbbells
Step-by-step instructions
- Grab some dumbbells here that will allow you to do at least 8 perfect reps.
- Stand up straight and hammer the dumbbells down to shoulder height.
- From here, push the dumbbells straight up to lock.
- Slowly bring the dumbbells back and down to shoulder height.
- From here, slowly bring the dumbbells back to your side.
coaching points
Slow down! Time under tension is key here. Feel the burn, especially on the way back down.
It's easy to get out of control and swing dumbbells everywherecurls and presses. Maintain control of the weight throughout the exercise.
Hang Muscle Snatch
Equipment needed
- dumbbell
- bumper plates
instructions
- With a ripping grip (hands outside the ripping rings), lift the bar up and stand upright.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and tighten your lats to lock your back in place.
- Bend the knee slightly and bend forward, pushing the hips back and sliding the bar down the thigh.
- Once the bar reaches the bottom of the thigh, stop just above the knee. Shoulders should be over or slightly in front of the bar.
- Now explosively extend the hips and once the hips, knees and ankles are triple extended, pull the bar up.
- Finish the movement by twisting your hands above the elbow.
- The final position should be with the lifter fully extended. This is very different from most other variations of the snatch, where the lifter catches in a full or quarter squat.
coaching points
As soon as the weight gets heavy enoughHang Muscle Snatch, the lifter's natural adjustment will be to bend the legs to tuck them slightly under the bar to achieve full arm extension. Resist that urge to dunk your legs. If you can't lift without bending, decrease the weight.
Sledgehammer Slams
Equipment needed
- Sledgehammer (10-20 pounds)
- tractor tires
Step-by-step instructions
- Hold the sledgehammer with one hand on the end of the handle and the other hand about 3/4 towards the hammer head.
- Adopt a strong athletic stance. Slight bend in knee and hip back.
- Always remember to activate the core.
- Pull the hammer up and rotate the hammer until it's slightly above you.
- Your arms should still be slightly bent.
- Bring the hammer down hard to strike
- As the hammer approaches the hoop you should feel your top hand slide and they will be together on impact.
- Switch sides until you have finished your sentence.
coaching points
Be careful not to choose a hammer that is too heavySledgehammer Slams. If the hammer is too heavy you will not have proper form and you will not benefit from the exercise
Focus on power production. Hit the hoop as hard as you can.
Remember to activate the core. When you bring the hammer down, you're really pulling down with those lats and abs to get the best possible shot.
Bauernweg
Equipment needed
- 1 kettlebell or dumbbell if you're carrying one-armed
- 2 kettlebells or dumbbells if you're working both arms
- A trapeze bar is also a great piece of equipment for farmer's walks
FYI: There are also very specific pieces of equipment (see above) designed almost exclusively for Farmer's Walks. If you ever find yourself in a strongman gym, you might come across a few of these. It can be a great time training with them.
Step by step instructions
- For this guide, I'm assuming you're carrying 2 kettlebells or dumbbells. The single arm and trap bar options are essentially the same move with slightly different benefits. I will talk more about these options in the coaching points
- With the kettlebells at your side, swing them at the waist and bend at the knee until you can pick them up. Remember to always lift with a nice flat back, neutral spine and a tight core.
- Keep the kettlebells slightly away from your sides.
- Hold your core, shoulder blades back and stand up straight.
- Walk with extreme control. In general, I recommend going 20 yards out and 20 yards back for a set, but longer distances are fine as long as form stays intact.
- Concentrate on crushing the handles with your grip. Avoid any side-to-side or front-to-back trunk deviation. Try to walk as controlled as possible.
coaching points
Choosing an appropriate weight is crucial here. The focus is on keeping the core tight and perfect posture. So if you get too heavy and your form deteriorates, you won't get the full benefitfarm hikesand can hurt yourself.
You also don't want to go so heavy that you can't easily keep the dumbbells off your sides. The reason for this is that you don't want your legs to be constantly bumping into the weight as you walk.
Final Thoughts
I love machine lateral raises as an exercise to develop strong shoulders, but sometimes machine lateral raises just aren't an option.
Whether you lack the right equipment or are simply looking for a different movement to add some variety to your program, I hope at least one of the alternatives listed here will serve you well.