Best side delts exercises with cables

Exercises where side delts are a main mover and that need a cable station, plus a bench at most. Best muscle growth rating first, with more weight on ratings several sources agree on. The full side delts ranking covers every kind of equipment.

  1. 1Cable lateral raise, start positionCable lateral raiseLateral raiseCableVery good; among the better picks for the muscle.
    Growth
    3.8 4 sources
  2. 2Behind-the-back cable lateral raiseLateral raiseCableTop tier for the target muscle.
    Growth
    5.0 1 source
  3. 3Cable Y raise, start positionCable Y raiseRear delt raiseCableTop tier for the target muscle. Also works traps, rear delts and upper back.
    Growth
    5.0 1 source
  4. 4Cable cross-body lateral raiseLateral raiseCableVery good; among the better picks for the muscle.
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  5. 5Cable cross-body rear-side raise, start positionCable cross-body rear-side raiseLateral raiseCableVery good; among the better picks for the muscle. Also works rear delts.
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  6. 6Cable upright row, start positionCable upright rowLateral raiseCableSolid; a reasonable default. Also works traps.
    Growth
    3.0 1 source
    Injury risk
    2.0 1 source