Back lateral raises in a crossover

It is better to keep your arms slightly bent at the elbows. The less you jerk your shoulder blades, the better. This exercise is not a primary one, so don’t overload it with heavy weights; the technical aspect plays a crucial role.

Nuances and Mistakes

1. Ensure that your arms are always slightly bent at the elbows. If you fully extend your arms at the end of the movement, the triceps will engage.

2. Also, do not let your arms drop downward. Your wrists should always remain at eye level, both at the start and at the end of the movement. The same applies to your elbows; they should be pointing straight back.

3. Do not throw your head back and try to avoid bringing your shoulder blades together to prevent engaging the upper back (the muscles situated between the shoulder blades).

4. The beginning of the movement can be fast and explosive, but do this only when using heavier weights.

5. There’s no point in selecting a weight that you cannot perform at least 8 repetitions correctly.

6. It is advisable to bring your hands together. This will stretch your rear deltoid more. You can also try crossing your arms (placing one arm under the other). However, in that case, it’s better to switch which arm is on top with each repetition (one on top, the other below).

7. Do not fully spread your arms out to the sides; otherwise, you will start engaging your back.