Lateral Raises

Main muscle used: Deltoids (Delts)/shoulder: Push exercise

Starting Position: Stand holding dumbbells or resistance band at your sides, elbows relaxed, palms facing your body and thumbs wrapped around the dumbbell handles. Your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart or in a split-stance position to help stabilize your body.

Brace your torso by contracting your trunk muscles. Pull your shoulder blades down and back. Keep these engagements throughout the exercise. Your head should be aligned with your spine.

Upward Phase: Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells or resistance band up and out to your sides. Your elbows and upper arms should rise together and lead the movement ahead of the forearms and dumbbells or resistance band. As your arms near shoulder level, turn your thumbs slightly upward. Continue raising the resistance until your arms are level with your shoulders and approximately parallel with the floor. Keep your torso erect. Do not allow the back to arch or the torso to rock. Keep the wrists in neutral position. Do not allow the wrists to bend.

Downward Phase: Inhale and gently lower the dumbbells or resistance band back to your starting position. Keep your elbows almost straight, maintaining the neutral grip position. While lowering the resistance rotate the thumbs back to start position (slightly downward). Your foot, torso, shoulder and wrist positions are maintained throughout the exercise.

Pull Downs

Main muscle used: Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)/back: Pull exercise

Starting Position: Brace your core and abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine. Keep the knees soft (with a slight bend). Avoid flexing (bending) forward at the hips during the pulling movement. Grasp the resistance band with the hands wider than shoulder-width, palms facing forward. With your elbows straight overhead, pull your shoulder blades down and back. Do not allow your back to arch. Keep your feet on firmly on the floor and your head aligned with your spine. Maintain these engagements throughout the exercise.

Exhale. The downward pull begins from the shoulder blades pulling down. The movement downward continues as you pull the band to the top or mid-section of your chest. Pull the band in a motion that brings your elbows toward the sides of your torso, driving your elbows toward the floor.

Pull the band down until it nears or touches your chest, or more importantly, when your elbows are no longer moving downward, but are beginning to move backward. Any further pulling at this point places additional stress into the shoulder joint.

Pause briefly. In a slow and controlled manner, straighten your elbows and return the band to starting position. Repeat.

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