Lateral raises are commonly done with a dumbbell or cable to target the middle delts, as your upper arms go directly out to your sides and up. A curious version has crept into training circles lately, where the movement is instead done with an EZ-bar. This may seem like an “advanced” version, but it’s a clear whiff!
We’ve seen this done a few times at various gyms recently. The only possible explanation is that it’s some kind of muscle-confusion training stimulus. But, anytime you increase the need for stabilizers to balance a weight, you also decrease the load that you’re able to use. Having to train with lighter loads counterproductively affects the muscle- and strength-building stimulus.
So, the only thing that’s confusing is why folks are even using an EZ-bar!
