Cable Diagonal Raise
This raise follows the shoulder's natural diagonal, sweeping the arm up and out from the far hip to a high, thumb-up finish rather than straight to the front or side. That scaption-style path keeps the joint in a friendly groove and trains the front and side delt together with the scapular upward rotators. It is a joint-friendly shoulder builder and a great filler for lifters who feel pinching on strict front or lateral raises.
- Equipment
- Cables
- Body part
- Shoulder
- Type
- Functional, Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Deltoid Anterior
- Browse by movement
- Shoulder Raise
- Target
- Deltoid Anterior
- Secondary
- Deltoid Middle, Trapezius Upper, Trapezius Lower
- Tertiary
- Infraspinatus
How to do it
- 1
Attach a single handle to the lowest pulley and stand side-on with the machine on your non-working side.
- 2
Reach across and grip the handle in front of the opposite hip with a thumb-up grip.
- 3
Brace your trunk and keep a soft bend in the elbow.
- 4
Raise the handle up and out along a diagonal until your hand is above shoulder height and out to the side.
- 5
Lower under control back across to the opposite hip, finish your reps, then switch sides.
Tips
- Lead with the thumb so the shoulder stays externally rotated through the raise.
- Keep the movement to the shoulder; do not lean away to heave the handle up.
- Use a light load and a clean path rather than swinging a heavy stack.
Variations
Common mistakes
- The elbow bends more with each rep as the shoulder tires, shortening the lever and quietly making the raise easier without any weight change.
- The path drifts into a straight front raise or a straight lateral raise instead of tracking the diagonal, missing the shoulder-friendly groove this exercise is built around.
- Standing too close to the pulley lets the plates rest on the stack at the bottom of the reach, so the first part of the raise moves with no real resistance.
- The far-hand grip drifts to the wrong starting hip between reps, changing the starting angle from one rep to the next.
Frequently asked
- How many reps of the cable diagonal raise should a beginner do per side?
- Use a light weight for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per side, and keep a clean diagonal path from hip to overhead before you add any load.
- What can you do instead of the cable diagonal raise if you don't have a cable machine?
- A light dumbbell raised along the same low-to-high diagonal trains the identical path without a cable machine. A resistance band anchored low and pulled up and across works too if a cable stack isn't available.
- What is the cable diagonal raise good for, and when should you skip it?
- It is a joint-friendly shoulder builder that suits lifters who feel pinching on strict front or lateral raises. Skip it if you're chasing heavy shoulder-building load, since the light, controlled path caps how much weight you can safely use, or as a first move before any needed rotator-cuff warm-up on an irritated shoulder.
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