lateral raises

[alfresco]

I don't believe in the whole "thumbs down" or "pouring a pitcher" methods as these are not functional movements.

My favorite cue is: "The weight is moving through an arc. You can lift the weight up to move it through the arc OR you can push the weight out to move it through the arc. Lifting uses traps, to use delts push the weight out to move it through the arc."

I believe you can thank Vince Gironda for that (thumbs downs).

I like the 'moving through an arc' analogy.

 

[Biggerp73]

This is how I do it. My delts have always been a strong point on my body.

 

[rAJJIN]

More then one way to skin a cat.
IMO you would do better with less weight, less momentum.
Such as an isolation curl vs swing curl.

 

[Mike Hunt]

I believe you can thank Vince Gironda for that (thumbs downs).

I like the 'moving through an arc' analogy.

am i making sure my elbows are leading through this arc so that my hands dont go above my elbows? or does it matter in this scenario?

 

[T. Johnson]

I use lighter weight than anyone else in my gym and have the biggest and strongest shoulders. I finally found MY perfect form for laterals and it involves dbs that are less than 30lbs for 10-15 reps. I've always believed in doing an exercise in as many planes and methods/tempos as possible UNTIL you find where you feel the muscle the best. It seems to work for me but to each his own.

 

[alfresco]

am i making sure my elbows are leading through this arc so that my hands dont go above my elbows? or does it matter in this scenario?

In my opinion, it does.

Think about your hands leading the movement / arc. And your hands should
be inline with your elbows, not above or below. And when views from the side,
the hands and elbows should be inline with your body, not in front or behind.

It is a very simple but effective exercise that can be humbling to ones ego
because of the weights used. But once you dismiss this while and still utilizing
progression either in reps or weight you are good to go.

Forget about your elbows just keep them as near locked as possible
when using db's (machines with elbow pads don't apply but still move
in an arc).

Hope this is clear and answers you question.

 

[buck]

I think the most important thing is to do what feels most natural. Where my hand end up depends on how much bend i have in my elbow to get the best feel for the shoulders. I use far lighter weight now then i used to in my younger days and get more out of it. I quit trying to make isolation movements into a strength challenge long ago. I mostly use machines these days as i feel them better and don't use my hands at all. The pads just rest on my elbow and to either side for a few inches.