Exercise Comparison
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press vs Smith Incline Shoulder Raise
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
Only in Smith Incline Shoulder Raise
Instructions
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
Move the cables to the bottom of the tower and select an appropriate weight.
Grasp the cables and hold them at shoulder height, palms facing forward. This will be your starting position.
Keeping your head and chest up, extend through the elbow to press one side directly over head.
After pausing at the top, return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
Smith Incline Shoulder Raise
Place an incline bench underneath the smith machine. Place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Once the weight you need is selected, lie down on the incline bench and make sure your shoulders are aligned right under the barbell.
Using a shoulder width pronated (palms forward) grip, lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with a slight bend at the elbows. This will be your starting position.
As you breathe out, lift the bar up until your arms are fully extended. Note: The contraction should be felt around the shoulders.
After a second pause, bring the bar back down to the starting position as you breathe in.
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Verdict
Both exercises target the shoulders. Alternating Cable Shoulder Press is a beginner exercise using cable, while Smith Incline Shoulder Raise is beginner and uses barbell. Choose Alternating Cable Shoulder Press if you have access to cable, or Smith Incline Shoulder Raise if you prefer barbell. Alternating Cable Shoulder Press is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Smith Incline Shoulder Raise isolates the target muscle for focused development.