I tried Poliquin raises for a week—this is what happened to my shoulders

As a fitness editor, I’m always on the lookout for exercises that deliver real results—and not just the ones everyone else is doing. After mastering the Power Clean and diving deep into the likes of deadhangs and deadlifts, I was intrigued by the Poliquin raise. The idea of transforming the classic lateral raise had me hooked.

This variation of the lateral raise, inspired by legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin, targets not only the medial deltoids (the side delts) but also the rear deltoids, offering a more comprehensive shoulder workout.

Unlike a standard lateral raise, where it's easy to cheat the movement by using momentum to ‘swing’ the dumbbells upward, the Poliquin Raise removes that temptation. You’re forced to focus on form throughout, particularly with the static positions of the dumbbells, which increases the time under tension. This makes your shoulders work harder and helps you avoid relying on momentum, ensuring that the middle delts do most of the work - and not your traps.

So what did I discover when I added Poliquin lateral raises to my workout every day for a week? Did I build shapelier shoulders without the usual neck tension? Did I prefer this version to the standard lateral raise? Let's find out.

Set up for success – how to do the Poliquin raise

Before we dive into my week and the results, let's first walk through how to do the Poliquin raise.

• Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing inward)
• Raise the dumbbells so that your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, with the weights in front of your body
• Lift your arms up to just below shoulder height, keeping your elbows bent
• Pause for a second or so, then straighten out your arms so they’re in the same position as a standard lateral raise
• Hold your arms extended, then slowly lower them to your sides, taking 3-4 seconds to maximize muscle engagement

A week of Poliquin raises: the results

Day 1-3:

“This is definitely an exercise that, when done right, promises broader, more defined shoulders—and a huge burn to the delts,” says Personal Trainer Chevaun Thomas, senior PT at Gymbox.

I immediately noticed that my shoulders felt different. Not sore, but engaged, the kind of subtle burn that tells you your muscles are working. As a fan of the lateral raise for that exact reason, I was excited to see how the Poliquin raise would compare. But after a few initial attempts, I realised I needed to fine-tune my form, particularly by slowing down the eccentric phase (the lowering portion) of the movement. This felt like a battle against gravity, forcing me to really concentrate on adding more time under tension while maintaining proper form.

“That's the challenge of the Poliquin Raise,” says Thomas. “You’ll target your lateral (or side) delts, but you really have to fight against gravity to add that extra time under tension while keeping your form in check.” I also found that hinging slightly forward got me in the ultimate position. This also allowed me to hit the medial delt - for a more balanced look.

Day 4-6:

Even after four days, the movement still felt strange; bending my elbows to a 90-degree angle and then lifting felt a bit like cheating—but it wasn’t. The aim of the bent arms is to make the initial movement— the raise itself—more manageable. It's also the secret sauce to lifting heavier weights.

“By bending your elbows, you’re instantly shortening the shoulder levers, which places less stress and tension on the shoulders,” explains Thomas. “Cutting the straight-armed raise changes your effort to lift the weight drastically — and then once you’ve straightened your elbows at the top of the movement, the real challenge begins.”

That’s right, the lever (my arms) became much longer, and resisting gravity during the lowering phase was much harder. I had to step down and lower my weights slightly.

“Yes, you should be working with heavier weights than a standard lateral raise— but if you're not able to hold that eccentric contraction for three to four seconds, you're not making the most of the movement,” adds Thomas. “Make sure to lower the weights at that tempo for maximum gains.”

The light bulb moment clicked—I had to go lighter for better gains. “Heavy weights encourage momentum and trap activation, but lighter weights force fantastic control and add more tension on the delts,” explains Thomas.

Lesson learnt; don’t cut corners with this shoulder exercise and don’t rush the tempo. By increasing the time under tension and slowing down the eccentric (negative) phase, you’ll really feel it!

Day 7:

By the end of the week, I felt a strong sense of achievement. As someone who sticks to lateral raises in my upper body workouts, I was happy to feel that same burn, maybe an even better burn from the Poliquin raise.

Since the Poliquin raise wasn’t the heaviest exercise in my shoulder workout, I found it best to perform it as my final exercise after a few sets of shoulder presses, upright rows, and front raises. After these moves, my shoulders were already fatigued, and this new move allowed me to get a few more eccentric contractions at the end of my workout. I loved the speed of the movement, making sure I kept the time under tension for three to four seconds and in full control of the lift (and lower).

Verdict

Strong, toned delts are more than just an aesthetic goal—they help you lift heavier, improve posture, and even protect your back and shoulders from injury. The Poliquin raise is an excellent way to target the middle delts and is especially great if you feel like you’re a bit narrow through the shoulders.

As a fan of the lateral raise already—and the many variations I include in my training, think curtsy lunge to lateral raise, bosu lateral raise, cable lateral raise—this two-part exercise was a simple but powerful upgrade to an already beloved move. By focusing on proper form, controlled movement, and the descent of the weights, my delts got a maximum burn, and my shoulders a 3D workout.