Cable front raise

Standing with the back to a low pulley, the handle in one hand, the straight arm rises forward to shoulder height and lowers slowly: the front raise against a cable handle.

Lateral raise family

Choose your level

Easier

Band lateral raise

Standard

Dumbbell lateral raise Seated dumbbell lateral raise Seated cable lateral raise Lateral raise to front raise Front raise Alternating front raise Cable front raise Plate front raise Scaption raise Cable lateral raise

Harder

Smith machine upright row Upright barbell row Cable upright row Band upright row Dumbbell upright row

These tiers compare demands within this family, not universal safety or a mandatory sequence. Load, range, balance and your circumstances can change difficulty. Choose deliberately; pain does not select a progression.

DemandEasy

Equipment requiredA cable machine

Muscle focusShoulders · Chest

Gets into position, then repeats the movement. Technical checks passed; qualified exercise review is pending.

Watch it bigger, and flip through similar moves, in the studio.Open in the studio

Source-researched guide. Clinical review is pending.

How to move

Stand with the back to a low pulley, its handle in one hand in front of the thighs.
Raise the straight arm forward to shoulder height; pause.
Lower it slowly; switch arms after the set.

Form cues

Keep the trunk still.
Keep the elbow just soft.

Practice and cautions

No universal dose is assigned. Choose a manageable amount for your current capacity, leave room for controlled repetitions, and allow recovery. A clinician’s individual plan takes priority.

Mass General's shoulder guide advises raising with the thumbs up rather than the palms down: do so with a sore shoulder. This is movement education, not an assessment or treatment prescription. Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling; seek individual guidance for symptoms, injury or restrictions.

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Sources and review status

Sources support the educational description; they do not establish that this exercise is suitable for you.

ACE · Front raise (beginner) ↗
Mass General Sports PT · Strength training for the shoulder (forward raises with the thumb up, not the palm down) ↗
Free Exercise DB · community text ↗
Unlicense · Free Exercise DB contributors; derived from wrkout/exercises.json. Text import; no photographs or media. · Revision f00c92c7dcf1216a928a52c3706c7ce8e2f71ed5

No variation is labeled clinically validated.

What it works

Muscles

Main: Shoulders. Also: Chest.

Anatomy: Deltoid, Rotator cuff, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, Teres minor.

Equipment

A cable machine

Level

Beginner. See the easier and harder options above.

Workouts that use it

Cable shoulder workout: presses, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work on one cable station · 35 min

Guides that use it

Similar moves

Alternating front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoAlternating front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Alternating hammer-grip front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoAlternating hammer-grip front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Barbell front raise to overhead demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBarbell front raise to overheadIntermediate · A barbell

Cable lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCable lateral raiseBeginner · A cable machine

Dumbbell front raise to overhead demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell front raise to overheadIntermediate · A dumbbell

Front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFront raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

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Questions people ask

What muscles does the Cable front raise work?

Mainly the shoulders, with help from the chest.

What equipment do I need for the Cable front raise?

A cable machine.

Is the Cable front raise good for beginners?

It is graded beginner, so it suits most people starting out. When it feels easy, try the Smith machine upright row.

What is an easier alternative to the Cable front raise?

Try the Band lateral raise. Both are written steps in the same progression.

How do I make the Cable front raise harder?

Progress to the Smith machine upright row or the Upright barbell row. Follow that guide’s technique and any stated timing.