Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral

What it is

This cable-based isolation exercise targets your shoulders through a lateral raising movement. You perform this with a bent-over torso, which engages your lower back, middle back, and traps for stability.

Technique tips

• Maintain a flat back with a stable, bent-over torso.
• Keep a slight bend in your working arm's elbow.
• Control the cable's descent; do not let it drop quickly.
• Focus on leading the movement with your elbow, not your hand.
• Exhale as you lift the weight, inhale as you slowly lower it.
• Avoid shrugging your shoulders upwards during the raise.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.