Jeff Nippard’s favorite exercise for the lateral deltoid is the cable lateral raise.
Jeff Nippard is a prominent figure in the fitness and bodybuilding community. He’s known for his science-based methods that maximize physical potential and nutrition and has garnered a substantial following as a natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and fitness coach.
| Full Name: Jeff Nippard | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 178 lbs | 5’5″ | 10/6/1990 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilding, Powerlifter | 2010s, 2020s | Canadian |
On September 10, 2024, Nippard released a video ranking his best and worst exercises for shoulder development. In this insightful presentation, he outlines effective routines for building strong, well-rounded deltoids while critiquing other popular exercises he deems less effective. Be sure to explore these valuable shoulder-building tips below.
Jeff Nippard’s Ranking System
Before we get into the best and worst exercises, we must analyze how Jeff Nippard ranks his exercises. This unique differentiation system easily allows you to identify the effects of one exercise from the other. Jeff Nippard’s highest ranking is called S-tier, which he calls super and his most effective. F-tier is called failure, and he highly doesn’t recommend it. Let’s take a look at Jeff Nippard’s ranking system below:
- S – Super (his favorite)
- A – Strongly recommended
- B – Can do them in specific contexts; however, there could be better alternatives
- C – There are better options, but could be helpful for certain people
- D – Not a good option for people
- F – Fail (rarely recommends)
Jeff Nippard equally adds that for a shoulder exercise to get into the S-tier, it must:
- Stretch & Tension: It needs to provide high tension, especially in a stretched position.
- Needs to Feel Good: It doesn’t cause shoulder pains and has a smooth resistance profile.
- Simple Progression: It isn’t worth doing if you can’t add weight or reps overtime.
The 3 Deltoid Heads
- Anterior Head (front head that raises the arm up to the front)
- Lateral Head (side head that raises the arm up to the side)
- Posterior Head (rear head which pulls the arm back)
“Because these heads can be thought of as almost separate muscles, I’m going to reveal my number one exercise for each head as we go.”
Jeff Nippard’s Best & Worst Shoulder Exercises
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise (B-Tier)
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Nippard likes this exercise because it’s super simple. However, although he thinks they’re quite time-efficient, he doesn’t believe they’re the most effective shoulder exercise. Why? “Because you have zero tension on your side delts at the bottom when they’re the most stretched, and you don’t reach peak tension until your arms are at 90 degrees when the delts are most shortened,” Nippard says.
Lean-In Dumbbell Lateral Raise (A-Tier)
Nippard says that if you lean against something to do a lean-in dumbbell lateral raise, you modify the resistance and place more tension on your side deltoids when most stretched. He considers this method the most effective way to do lateral raises with dumbbells.
Lean-Away Dumbbell Lateral Raise (B-Tier)
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Nippard suggests that leaning away on the dumbbell lateral raise may redirect some emphasis from the rotator cuff muscles to the lateral deltoid. However, it still presents the challenge of not generating sufficient tension in the stretched position.
Super ROM Lateral Raise (B-Tier)
The super ROM lateral raise fully contracts your side delts, and Jeff Nippard picked it up from Dr. Mike Israetel. However, since this exercise, according to Nippard, has the same resistance curve issues as the standard dumbbell lateral raise, they can’t make it into the A-tier.
Overhead Press (B-Tier+)
Nippard considers the overhead press as a controversial exercise. It’s an anterior delt-dominant exercise and isn’t stable because it requires your core and lower body to stabilize, shifting some tension from your deltoids.
Seated Overhead Press (B-Tier)
Performing the seated overhead press addresses the stability issue, but it’s still dominant in the front delt. “There’s something about the seated OHP that just isn’t as satisfying as the standing OHP. I’m going to leave these in B-tier as well,” said Nippard.
Dumbbell Overhead Press (A-Tier)
Nippard emphasizes that switching the barbells for dumbbells to perform a dumbbell overhead press is time-saving. You also get a better range of motion at the top and bottom of the movement. You also recruit the side delts, which help balance the dumbbells.
Machine Shoulder Press (A-Tier+ & Nippard’s Number 1 Exercise for Front Delts)
Nippard acknowledges the machine shoulder press as his personal favorite because it gives your delts a deep stretch and is less dependent on technique and coordination. He adds, “You can get your delts all the way to failure without losing control of the weight (1). It’s still going to be very front delt-dominant, but as a vertical pressing option for hypertrophy, this is usually my go-to these days.” “If you don’t have a good shoulder press machine, my next go-to would be the seated dumbbell shoulder press.”
“Arnold Style” Side Lying Dumbbell Raise (A-Tier)
When performing the Arnold–style side–lying dumbbell raise, you experience high tension while stretching your deltoid. You also get stability, a good range of motion, and a good side delt pump.
Front Raises (D-Tier)
“For the record, front raises of any kind. So dumbbell, cable, or machine, are all going in D-tier.”
Atlantis Standing Machine Lateral Raise (A-Tier+)
The Atlantis standing machine lateral raise is a smooth exercise. There is even consistent tension on the side delts throughout the range of motion. It’s also easy to add weight progressively for this exercise.
Seated Machine Lateral Raise (B-Tier)
Nippard says that placing the pads higher on his arms doesn’t feel as comfortable. This could be due to the short arm-to-shoulder distance, which requires him to put more weight on him, ultimately straining his shoulders.
Cable Lateral Raise (S-Tier Nippard’s #1 Exercise for Side Delts)
Nippard says that the cable lateral raise provides maximum tension on the side delt while most are stretched as long as you set it at hand height. He says it’s an excellent exercise that hits the side delts throughout the range of motion.
Cable Y-Raise (S-Tier)
Cable Y-raises give you a bigger range of motion when raising the cable, out and back.
Behind-The-Back Cuffed Lateral Raise (S-Tier)
“I think it’s amazing. Its main advantage over the standard cable lateral raise is you get to knock out both arms at once, which is twice as time-efficient.”
Banded Lateral Raise (C-Tier)
Nippard isn’t a fan of this exercise because, according to him, it provides zero tension in the stretch and maximum tension at the top.
Upright Row (B-Tier)
The upright row targets the upper traps, lateral delts, and biceps. Jeff Nippard prefers to do this routine using a cable or rope.
Reverse Pec Deck (S-Tier)
Jeff Nippard considers the reverse pec deck a good rear delt exercise that provides consistent tension throughout the range of motion (2). He prefers to do this exercise by sitting sideways to stretch deeper.
Rope Face Pull (A-Tier)
The rope face pull, with an underhand grip, primarily targets the rear delts. It feels good and gives the rear delts a big stretch. However, the challenge is not letting your mid-traps take over.
Bent-Over Reverse Dumbbell Flye (B-Tier)
Like some delt exercises, this one requires zero tension at the bottom when stretching the rear delts. However, it’s still a good shoulder exercise.
Reverse Cable Crossover (S-Tier Nippard’s Number 1 Exercise for Rear Delts)
When done right, the reverse cable crossover gives you a fantastic stretch on your rear delts. Nippard believes it utilizes a full range of motion with the constant tension of the target muscles as long as you hold the cable, not the handles.
Wrapping Up
Jeff Nippard’s best exercise for overall shoulder development is the cable lateral raise because it’s easy to do, effective, and ticks all the boxes for hypertrophy. He also considers machine shoulder presses a top pick for front delts, cable lateral raises for side delts, and the reverse cable crossovers for rear delts. On the other hand, his worst exercise is the front raises because he considers them redundant.
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References
- Nóbrega, S. R., & Libardi, C. A. (2016). Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary?. Frontiers in physiology, 7, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00010
- Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
