When I was first starting out I hated training shoulders, so I made myself train them twice a week. I became to love training delts.

There is a saying "Shoulders maketh the man".

Side raises are one of my favourite medial deltoid exercises, I feel they're a great overall mass builder although technically they are an "isolation" exercise. However there are many ways to do this great exercise, 3 of which I'm going to share with you today. 

Lying Single Arm Side Raises 

For this you need to get a bench which is on a very shallow incline. From here you lie down on one side, whilst doing side raises with the other side. The angle this creates generates a LOT of tension across the medial deltoids. The key is to not go too heavy, this is very much about "feeling" the deltoids work. 

Single Arm Cable Side Raises 

Doing single arm side raises off the cable machine is a great way to increase the level of tension and isolation across the medial deltoids. As you come down through the eccentric to the starting position you will feel the medial heads under great tension, coming partially into the anterior deltoid region as well. 

Seated Dumbbell Side Raises

Simply doing conventional side dumbbell raises whilst sitting down on a bench has many benefits. For me the key benefit to using this variation is the lack of body movement, compared to standing up. Many people use far too much "swing" in their body whilst doing side raises, failing to really isolate the medial deltoids. By using a seated position this limits the movement available. To make it even more strict you can do it in a seated position with your back up agains the pad in an upright position so you're completely restricted. You will definitely use lighter weight than whilst standing up!

Give them a go and let me know your thoughts.

Hammy