Front raise: how to do it, muscles worked and variations
Shoulder flexion for the front delt.
- Main muscles
- Deltoid
- Secondary muscles
- Serratus anterior, Pectoralis major, Trapezius
- Equipment
- Weight plate, Dumbbell, Flat bench
- Variations
- 4
All 4 variations
Plate front raise
Shoulder flexion holding a weight plate.
Form. Keep your arms soft and lift without arching your lower back.
Common mistake. Raising beyond what the shoulder can control.
Dumbbell front raise
Shoulder flexion with dumbbells in front.
Form. Lift to a comfortable height while keeping your ribs controlled.
Common mistake. Swinging the torso to raise the load.
Neutral-grip dumbbell front raise
Dumbbell front raise with palms facing each other, a more comfortable position for many shoulders than the overhand grip.
Form. Standing with palms facing each other, raise the dumbbells in front of you to shoulder height with slightly bent elbows and lower with control without swinging.
Common mistake. Raising overhead without control, swinging the trunk, shrugging your shoulders, or locking your elbows.
Chest-supported dumbbell front raise
Dumbbell front raise lying face down on an incline bench, which removes swing and isolates the front part of the deltoid.
Form. Rest your chest on an incline bench, let the dumbbells hang and raise them in front to head height with almost straight elbows; lower slowly.
Common mistake. Lifting your chest off the bench, shrugging your shoulders, using momentum, or using a load that makes you bend your elbows a lot.
