We know that the supraspinatus plays a greater role in the first 15–30 degrees of a lateral raise, while medial deltoid activity peaks between 90–120 degrees. So, how can we use this information to our advantage?

If you want to place more stress on the supraspinatus fibers—such as during rehab from a rotator cuff repair—overload the bottom range of the movement. This can be achieved with side-lying dumbbell laterals performed against a Swiss ball, an incline bench, or simply lying on the floor.

If your goal is to build barn-door-wide shoulders, focus on lean-away dumbbell laterals or tube laterals, which overload the top range of motion.

For an extra challenge, try combining resistance bands with dumbbells using a jettison technique: start with both, then release the band when you hit failure and continue with just the dumbbells until you’re completely fatigued.