The Cable Low Single Arm Lateral Raise is a beginner-friendly cable strength exercise that targets the shoulders, with the traps and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesShoulders
Secondary musclesTraps, Abs
EquipmentCable
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Cable Low Single Arm Lateral Raise
Set a cable pulley to its lowest position and attach a single handle.
Stand side-on to the stack so the working arm is the one furthest from the pulley.
Reach across your body and take the handle with a neutral grip, keeping the chest tall and hips level.
Brace your abs and press both feet into the floor.
Raise the working arm out to the side with a slight elbow bend until it is level with the floor.
Hold for a second, lower slowly back across your body, then finish the set and switch arms.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Working one arm at a time exposes side-to-side differences the two-arm version hides.
The low pulley keeps the side of the deltoid loaded at the bottom of the range.
Trial evidence puts cable lateral raises on a par with dumbbells for lateral deltoid growth.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Swinging the torso away from the stack, which replaces deltoid work with a body swing.
Shrugging as the arm rises, which moves the load up into the upper traps.
Letting the handle drop back fast, which wastes the loaded stretch the low pulley creates.
Raising past shoulder height, which shifts the work off the side of the deltoid.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Cable Low Single Arm Lateral Raise, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
