Muscles Worked

The lateral raise is a single-joint movement that targets the lateral, or side, deltoid muscle. The upright row, a multi-joint exercise, targets not only the side deltoid, but also the trapezius muscle in the upper back. The lateral deltoid muscle sits on the outside of the shoulder and is mainly responsible for shoulder abduction, lifting the upper arm up and to the side of the body. The upper trapezius muscle is responsible for elevating and retracting the shoulder blades. Both exercises involve many secondary movers, including the front shoulder and rotator cuff muscles.

Technique

The only movement that occurs during the lateral raise exercise is shoulder abduction. Hold a weight in each hand with your arms relaxed at your sides and your palms facing in toward you. Lock your elbows into a slight bend. As you raise your arms, tilt your thumb up as this relieves pressure on the rotator cuff muscles. Continue lifting your arms until your elbows are at shoulder level.

The upright row involves shoulder abduction and shoulder elevation. The traps come into play during the upper portion of the movement. Hold a weight in each hand with your arms in front of your body and your palms facing your thighs. Slide the dumbbells up your torso, keeping them close to your body. Lead with your elbows. Continue lifting the weights until they are about chin level.

Equipment

The lateral raise is most often performed with dumbbells, although you can also use cable resistance. You cannot use a barbell for the lateral raise exercise. You can use a barbell for the upright row, but dumbbells allow you to position your wrists at a more natural angle, making them a better choice for some lifters.

Precautions

When you abduct and internally rotate your shoulder joint, you make it susceptible to subacromial impingement -- the bones of the upper arm and shoulder joint squeeze the soft tissues in the acromial space. Both the upright row and the lateral raise exercise involve shoulder abduction and internal rotation, but the upright row involves more extreme internal rotation, making it a higher-risk exercise. The upright row is a contraindicated movement for some lifters, especially those with prior shoulder injuries. Limit the range of motion of the upright row to reduce the risk of shoulder impingement. Do not lift the weights to your chin. Stop the upward motion when your upper arm is about parallel to the floor.