Shoulders · Resistance bands

Resistance Band Sitting Lateral Raise on a Chair

The resistance band sitting lateral raise on a chair is an isolation exercise targeting the lateral heads of the deltoids. Performing it seated eliminates momentum from the legs and hips, making it an effective choice for shoulder hypertrophy at home or near the end of an upper-body session.

Muscles: Shoulders
Equipment: Resistance bands
Type: Strength
Animation: Women

How to do it

Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and loop the middle of the band under both feet.
Grasp the sides of the loop with both hands, arms hanging at your sides with a slight bend in the elbows.
Keep your back straight and your chest up.
As you exhale, raise both arms out to the sides until your hands reach shoulder height.
Inhale and slowly lower your arms back to your sides.

Common mistakes

Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears, which shifts the workload from the deltoids to the upper trapezius.
Letting the band snap the arms down quickly instead of controlling the eccentric lowering phase.
Raising the hands significantly higher than shoulder height, which can lead to shoulder impingement.
Locking out the elbows completely, placing unnecessary stress on the elbow joints.

Tips

Adjust the band's resistance by widening or narrowing your feet on the floor.
Lead the motion with your elbows while keeping a soft, fixed bend throughout the set.
Hold the contraction at shoulder height for a brief pause to maximize tension on the lateral delts.

Sets and reps

Perform 3–4 sets of 12–20 repetitions with 45–60 seconds of rest between sets to target shoulder hypertrophy and muscular endurance.

Muscles worked

Resistance Band Sitting Lateral Raise on a Chair: shoulders

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.

Questions

Why perform this exercise seated instead of standing?

Sitting prevents you from using hip drive and lower-body momentum, ensuring stricter isolation of the side delts.

What should you do if your shoulder pinches during the raise?

Lower the resistance, try turning your thumbs slightly upward, or stop the exercise and consult a healthcare specialist if discomfort persists.

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