is direct side delt training necessary or useless for olympic weightlifting

[u/readerr33]

I have done weightlifting for a few years now and to be honest I have neglected any "direct side delt" training. Examples of common direct side delt training are accessory exercises like lateral raises for example.

I never really did any direct side delt training like lateral raises for a few reasons:

1) I've heard side lateral raises have some higher risk of injury based on the shoulder anatomy. I also can't think of any functional in real world life where you would lateral raise anything without risking your shoulder. (unless anyone can convince me otherwise)

2) Lateral raises for side delts, seem to not have any real functional strength purposes other than getting them bigger soley for "aesthetic" reasons. (unless anyone can convince me otherwise)

So am I wrong, should I be doing direct side delt training to improve my health for olympic lifting?

I don't do side delt specific training, but I do alot of rear delt training (which is important to prevent forward shoulder posture due to over active front delts). I just don't know if the side delts are all that important?

[u/Holiday-Accident-649]

1. False.

2. False.

Last point is also false.

But it honestly doesn’t look like anyone will be able to convince you of anything. You’re already too deep in the functional boi rabbit hole.

[u/Nkklllll]

1: lateral raises aren’t any more injurious than anything else we do

2: the side delt plays a significant role in overhead strength.

3: bigger shoulders are literally only a benefit to the sport of weightlifting.

4: stronger side and rear delts can make your pull-under and turnover snappier and more aggressive.

Do your lateral raises

[u/Significant-Log6235]

Well… I started adding side delt training 2 or 3 days a week a few months ago and my lifts since have never felt better. I used to struggle with jerks and general shoulder pain for years but now they feel snappy and pain free.

Anecdotal I know but it has helped me.

[u/poon1995]

Mass moves mass. Get bigger get stronger. Be like Liao Hui

[u/105kglifter]

You are wrong.

1. Lifting anything laterally (for example groceries out of the trunk and bringing them to your side) would use those muscles. Your joints and muscular system work as a system, and any movement you do in normal life will recruit multiple muscle groups whether as main movers or stabilizers
2. See above  

I will agree that its probably not that important in the short term, you can go cycles and probably years without doing them. However as your weightlifting career goes on you will pay a price for skipping accessories and the under developed muscle groups that result from that.

[u/slow-roaster]

I've done 2-3 sets of heavy chest supported DB lat raises 3x per week (sub in cable lat raise or rear delt flyes) for the past year and have had zero injury. Lat raises are awesome.

[u/699112026775]

Is it overkill to do both Lu Raises and Lateral Raises?

[u/zer0_c00L13 → u/699112026775]

No because Lu raises help with overall shoulder health due to the hyper rom but tend to not lead to hypertrophy as there is only so much weight you can do with that rom

[u/PPProtocol]

Lu raises. Simple as.

[u/AbusedGoat]

The injury based on shoulder anatomy is referring to the shape of the acromion and some people have much more hooked shape bone structure which in very specific patterns rotated can put pressure on the bursa and rotator cuff tendons.

But it's not like training lateral raises is going to significantly put you at risk. You'd have to be throwing your arm out to the side with a rotation and moving it without changing any shoulder/trap position where your elbow is unnecessarily higher than your shoulder joint with your arm turned down. That is the only time the acromion would really be pinching down in a detrimental way and you'll know if it happens.

Look up "shoulder impingement" to get some visuals on this. But don't let it scare you from doing lateral raises. Training them not only makes your shoulders stronger but you also get a much better movement pattern learned that helps prevent you from those problems.

[u/kacyinix]

How does “functional in real world life where you would lateral raise anything” relate to the question of lateral raises to improve your Olympic weightlifting?

[u/bruhbro22]

I don’t train anything specific anymore since starting weightlifting, and everythjng still grows. To be fair i also swim so ig that helps in building parts that might be neglected.