Horizontal Shoulder Abduction (Cable)

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Level

beginner

Force

push

Mechanic

isolation

Equipment

Category

Primary Muscles

Secondary Muscles

Shoulder isolation exercise using cable machine to target lateral deltoids with horizontal abduction.

Instructions

Set the cable pulley to mid-chest height and stand with your side to the machine.
Grasp the handle with the arm farthest from the machine, starting with your arm extended across your body.
Keep a slight bend in your elbow throughout the movement.
Raise your arm out to the side in an arc motion, moving away from your body to shoulder height.
Your arm should move horizontally away from your body, creating a T-shape with your torso.
Squeeze your shoulder at the peak contraction.
Slowly lower the handle back to the starting position with control.
Complete all reps on one side, then switch to the other side.

Tips

Keep a slight bend in your elbow to reduce stress on the shoulder joint
Focus on moving from the shoulder joint, not the arm
Maintain proper posture with your chest up throughout the movement
Control the weight throughout both the lifting and lowering phases
This variation works well for targeting the middle and posterior deltoids

Recommended starting values

Sensible novice starting points for each goal, for a lifter aged 25–40. Scale down for smaller frames or older lifters. Treat the first set of any session as a discovery set.

Goal	Sets	Reps	Weight
Goal	Sets	Reps	Male	Female
Gain strength	3	9 reps	5 kg	2.5 kg
Build muscle	3	13 reps	5 kg	2.5 kg
Build endurance	3	16 reps	5 kg	2.5 kg

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same muscles with the same force and mechanic.

Alternating Deltoid Raise

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Car Drivers

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Diagonal Raise (Band)

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EZ Bar Front Raise

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Front Cable Raise

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Front Dumbbell Raise

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Front Incline Dumbbell Raise

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Front Plate Raise

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Front Raise (Band)

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Front Raise (Cable)

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Front Raise (Dumbbell)

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Front Raise (Sled)

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Front Raise (Smith Machine)

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Front Raise (Suspension)

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Front Raises

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Front Two-Dumbbell Raise

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Incline Shoulder Raise (Dumbbell)

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Internal Rotation with Band

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Landmine Lateral Raise (Barbell)

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Lateral Raise (Band)

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Lateral Raise (Cable)

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Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)

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Lateral Raise (Sled)

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Lateral Raise (Smith Machine)

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Lateral Raise to Front Raise (Dumbbell)

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Lateral Raise with Bands

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Lateral Raises

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Lateral Raises on Cable, One Armed

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Machine Lateral Raise

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One-Arm Incline Lateral Raise

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One-Arm Side Laterals

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Overhead Plate Raise

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Plate Front Raise

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Plate Lateral Raise

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Power Partials

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Scaption (Cable)

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Scaption (Dumbbell)

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Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)

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Seated Side Lateral Raise

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Shoulder Fly

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Side Lateral Raise

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Side Laterals to Front Raise

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Single Dumbbell Raise

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Smith Incline Shoulder Raise

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Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Head

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Standing Front Barbell Raise Over Head

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Standing Low-Pulley Deltoid Raise

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Straight Raises on Incline Bench

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Y Raise (Band)

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Y Raise (Cable)

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Y Raise (Dumbbell)

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