Exercise Comparison
Anti-Gravity Press vs One-Arm Side Laterals
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Anti-Gravity Press
Instructions
Anti-Gravity Press
Place a bar on the ground behind the head of an incline bench.
Lay on the bench face down. With a pronated grip, pick the barbell up from the floor. Flex the elbows, performing a reverse curl to bring the bar near your chest. This will be your starting position.
To begin, press the barbell out in front of your head by extending your elbows. Keep your arms parallel to the ground throughout the movement.
Return to the starting position and repeat to complete the set.
One-Arm Side Laterals
Pick a dumbbell and place it in one of your hands. Your non lifting hand should be used to grab something steady such as an incline bench press. Lean towards your lifting arm and away from the hand that is gripping the incline bench as this will allow you to keep your balance.
Stand with a straight torso and have the dumbbell by your side at arm's length with the palm of the hand facing you. This will be your starting position.
While maintaining the torso stationary (no swinging), lift the dumbbell to your side with a slight bend on the elbow and your hand slightly tilted forward as if pouring water in a glass. Continue to go up until you arm is parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this movement and pause for a second at the top.
Lower the dumbbell back down slowly to the starting position as you inhale.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Switch arms and repeat the exercise.
Verdict
Both exercises target the shoulders. Anti-Gravity Press is a beginner exercise using barbell, while One-Arm Side Laterals is beginner and uses dumbbell. Choose Anti-Gravity Press if you have access to barbell, or One-Arm Side Laterals if you prefer dumbbell. Anti-Gravity Press is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. One-Arm Side Laterals isolates the target muscle for focused development.