Many athletes neglect the training of shoulder muscles, because training chest or upper arms is more fun. However including shoulder training into your workout plan is very important. The shoulders are known for presenting the whole body more massive, they are true illusionists.
The lateral raise machine serves to strengthen the shoulder muscles if all important training tips are being followed. Training on a lateral raise machine mainly strengthens the deltoid, the supraspinatus, the rhomboid major, trapezius and levator scapulae muscles. When starting the training on a lateral raise machine, it is recommendable to get introduced to the machine by a trainer. He or she can adjust the suitable weight and cares for training in the correct body posture. The trainer can also give you some tips for the training on a lateral raise machine, appropriate training sessions and repeats.
The muscles
The aim of training on a lateral raise machine is to strengthen the shoulder muscles. The following muscles are trained especially:
• Deltoid muscle
• Supraspinatus muscle
• Rhomboid major muscle
• Trapezius muscle
• Levator scapulae muscle
Performance of the training
Before starting the training on a lateral raise machine, the arms of the machine have to be either in a vertical downwards position or the position preferred by the training person. Afterwards the athlete sits down on the padded seat while the chest touches the back padding and the feet stand shoulder's width apart on the ground. The seat has to be moved forwards by using the lever until the pivotal axle of the lateral raise machine is on the same height as the shoulder joints. Now grasp the hand grips and lift both arms in a half circle to the point where the upper arms are in a right angle to the body. Reaching this point the arms have to be lead back slowly to the starting position. Every movement on the lateral raise machine should be done slowly and controlled to assure that the desired training effect will be achieved.
The training process on the lateral raise machine in headwords:
• Lean the chest on the chest padding.
• Grasp both pendulum grips of the lateral raise machine and position the upper arms in front of the paddings of the training arms.
• Strain your body.
• Lift the arms in a half circle slowly and controlled until the upper arms are positioned in a rectangle to the body.
• Lead the arms slowly and controlled back into the starting position.
• While leading the arms back it is important to prevent the weight plates of the lateral raise machine in the lowest position from touching. Therefore you should stop slightly before reaching the starting position and repeat the movement.
Mistakes that should be avoided when training on a lateral raise machine
Athletes who stick with the training tips for lateral raise machines will achieve the desired results. Frequent mistakes when using this strength training machine:
• Instable seating position.
• The pivotal axle of the shoulder joint is not on the same height as the pivotal axle of the lever of the lateral raise machine.
• The athlete sits in a hollow back position.
• The arms are being lifted higher than the shoulders.
• The athlete uses momentum and/or seesaws the upper body.
It is important to do stretching and warming up the muscles before training on a lateral raise machine. This can be done by choosing a weight that is significantly lighter than the training weight. A special tip for training on a lateral raise machine is to fill in the adjustments of the machine, the training weight and the number of sets and repeats in your workout plan. You should breathe in while doing the positive movement (lifting) and breathe out while doing the negative movement (leading down).
Here you can find the available lateral raise machines on fitnessmarkt.com!
Published on: 22 December 2014