- If you want to focus on exercising the middle part of your deltoid during training, it is very important to separate the rhomboid muscle. And the lateral raise can do just that. The lateral raise is mainly used to exercise the middle part of the deltoid and enhance the body’s coordination ability. In order to minimize the use of the rhomboid muscle as much as possible, avoid using force in the shoulders when performing the movement. This can better isolate the deltoid muscle. There is also a trick. When raising your arms to shoulder height, keep your arms suspended for 1 – 2 seconds and then slowly lower the weight.
- Incline Bench Unilateral Lateral Raise
Regarding the movement: Compared with standing and seated side raises, this exercise can stimulate the middle part of the deltoid from multiple angles. It is usually recommended to place this exercise as the first shoulder exercise because it only focuses on the deltoid area and is highly efficient.
- Single – arm Shoulder Press
Regarding the movement: The action is completed in a step – by – step manner, which can bring unexpected training results. Choose a pair of dumbbells, hold the dumbbell in an overhead dumbbell press starting position (both elbows at 90°), raise one arm to 1/3 of the way up, return slowly, then raise it to 2/3 of the way up, return again, and then complete a full – range press motion. At the same time, the other arm holds the dumbbell relatively still. It is suggested to do 3 sets on each side, with 10 reps per set.
- Single – arm Barbell Lateral Raise
Regarding the movement: Compared with the usual standing lateral raise, this exercise can more effectively isolate the deltoid area. The reason for using a barbell is that it can better cultivate your sense of balance compared to dumbbells. Place your feet beside a support device, grab the device with one hand to make your body lean outwards, keep your arm straight, and the other arm completes the lateral raise action.
- Single – arm “Battle Rope”
Regarding the movement: This is quite different from traditional exercises and can bring you a great burning effect. It is usually placed at the end of the workout. To achieve the best burning effect, sit sideways on a stability ball, maintain good posture, and complete the lateral raise action with one arm, just at a faster frequency. It is suggested to do 3 sets on each side, with as many reps as possible, pursuing standard actions rather than just the number of reps.
- Cable External Rotation
Regarding the movement: Due to the special structure of the human shoulder, in order to maintain relative stability during movement, the muscles around the shoulder joint will be activated, including not only the deltoid but also the rotator cuff. If the rotator cuff is rarely exercised, it may affect the normal and safe performance of shoulder exercises. If upper body muscle training is scheduled for today, it is recommended to place this exercise as the last one to avoid affecting the performance of super – heavy exercises.
