>>143467
>Does incline bench press work lateral deltoids?
Not in any significant fashion.
⁃ ExRx.net : Barbell Incline Bench Press.
☞ https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralClavicular/BBInclineBenchPress
Muscles
Target
• Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
Synergists
• Deltoid, Anterior
• Triceps Brachii
Dynamic Stabilizers
• Biceps Brachii, Short Head
The lateral deltoid is in the middle of the deltoid group (between anterior and posterior deltoids) and is more active in other movements.
⁃ ExRx.net : Deltoid (Lateral).
☞ https://exrx.net/Muscles/DeltoidLateral
Movement
Shoulder
• Abduction
• Flexion
• Transverse Abduction
The traditional bodybuilding exercise normally advised to develop the lateral deltoid is the dumbbell lateral raise:
⁃ ExRx.net : Dumbbell Lateral Raise.
☞ https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise
However, I find plain lateral raises to be a negative influence on both the form and function of the shoulder—especially when done with robotic, orthodox motion. The biggest problems in standing lateral raises done naïvely are the way the shoulders are frozen at an internal angle and prevented from rotating outwardly as the arms raise and the way the torso is kept strictly erect. To maintain ideal form and function of the entire shoulder girdle, natural scapulohumeral rhythm must be maintained whenever possible through careful exercise selection and preserving freedom of movement when practical. In practice this means scapula, clavicle, and humerus should all move in unison in a natural way whenever exercising the shoulder girdle. Forcing the shoulders to stay internally rotated while raising the arms limits range of motion and can eventually promote less favorable proportions and dysfunction.
⁃ ExRx.net : Kinesiology Glossary.
☞ https://exrx.net/Kinesiology/Glossary#Scapulohumeral
Instead of robotic hinge movements, I will propose some alternatives:
• face pulls
◦ The most important movement to add to your shoulder routine if not already present, but it is often described as more about the posterior delts. The lateral delts are certainly involved though, and while it is possible to choose an exercise that emphasizes the lateral delts more than this one, this will help establish a good rhythm and make sure the posterior delts and external rotators do not become neglected. By getting a good feel for how this exercise works, you can vary the angle of resistance and motion to emphasize the lateral delts more if you want to.
‣ Cable face pull exercise guide and videos | Weight Training Guide.
☞ https://weighttraining.guide/exercises/cable-face-pull
‣ Why You Need To Do Face Pulls (Benefits And Proper Form).
☞ http://seannal.com/articles/training/face-pulls-benefits-proper-form.php
‣ Performance U. Face Pull Exercise: Form Tip. 8 Feb. 2014.
☞ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC8mlDOYJ2I
• crossover lateral raises
◦ Not just any cable crossover lateral raise. The video below has good form. I’m finding few others demonstrating anything close to this:
‣ jpeters1988. TrainedbyJP - How to Crucifix Lateral. 31 Dec. 2017.
☞ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7kNyud3WJM
• landmine lateral raises
◦ A rare exercise few seem to perform or acknowledge even though very little equipment is needed, and it is available to most gyms. This is a very high quality shoulder exercise in my opinion, because the lever aspect engages the shoulders more thoroughly and encourages you to use natural shoulder rhythm to complete a rep. Do not force yourself to do this exercise if it feels too heavy. Remember, lateral raises are done with light dumbbells and that is one end of a ~45 lb/~20 kg barbell, so it may be hard to judge how much weight is actually being lifted.
‣ bruno082985. Landmine Lateral Raises. 14 Jan. 2013.
☞ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xurgwTciw4A
‣ Chris Melton. Shoulder Friendly Exercise - the Landmine Lateral Raise. 16 Dec. 2014.
☞ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmXT8ShvH_A
‣ Kevin Warren Fitness. Landmine Lateral Raise. 14 June 2017.
☞ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zGiEKAv9Is
• bent-over lateral raises
◦ This one is tricky. Don’t bother searching for this term as apparently the whole world thinks it means a different exercise—one that is almost strictly for the rear delts—and I don’t know what to call it other than “bend your torso forward some in order to maintain the angle of resistance on the lateral deltoids”. I have seen a video giving detailed instruction on it, but it is now lost. Nonetheless, no video is as important as obtaining the correct “feel” for what I am about to describe: raise your hand up and out to your side close to a 45° angle. (Degrees of the angle are not as important as how it feels.) If your shoulder is healthy enough, you should have raised your hand wide, and if you look at your lateral delt while you do this, you will actually notice it does not point straight up as in a typical dumbbell lateral raise. It points behind you at a certain angle! You can calibrate the exact position you want if you notice when you raise your hands straight up a certain part of the delts become more active, and if you lower them more, another part becomes more active. Pay attention to that angle and bend forward until gravity nearly has a perpendicular line of leverage on your lateral delts. Contract the delts good. Feel where they are. Notice how you had to externally rotate the shoulder some to get to this fully contracted state. When you have weights in hand or some other resistance, the point is to give that resistance the most leverage at the peak of contraction to really emphasize the sqeeze. You’ll rotate externally as you raise your arms up and internally as you lower and relax them.