Training guide

How to do front raises: dumbbell, plate, cable and band, and do you need them?

A front raise lifts a weight in front of you on nearly straight arms to about shoulder height. It works the front of your shoulders and your upper chest, and you can do it with dumbbells, a plate, a barbell, a cable or a band.

Presses already work the front of the shoulder hard: in one study the shoulder press beat the front raise for front-shoulder activity, and in a 10-week trial bench pressing grew the front of the shoulder on MRI. No trial has added front raises to presses, so if you press regularly, you may not need them; they're useful if you can't press comfortably or want a few extra sets.

This guide covers the front raise step by step on the 3D figure, the grip (thumbs up suits most shoulders), how high to go, each version, how heavy and how many, and your shoulders.

17 moves17 with 3D demosStep by step Do you need them?Grip and height Versions Sets and reps FAQ

The short version

What it works

The front of your shoulder (the anterior deltoid) and the upper part of your chest, with a little help from the side of the shoulder. The back of the shoulder barely works.

Sources 1, 2

Presses work the front of the shoulder hard

The dumbbell shoulder press worked the front of the shoulder harder than the front raise (74% against 57% of maximum) in 16 men, the shoulder press beat the bench press, lateral raise and fly in 13 trained men, and 10 weeks of bench pressing grew the front of the shoulder on MRI.

Sources 2, 3, 4

You may not need them if you press

No trial has added front raises to presses and measured the result, so this is an inference: if you press regularly, the front of your shoulder is already working hard, and your raise sets may do more for the side and back of your shoulder.

Sources 4, 2

Thumbs up

A hospital shoulder handout advises raising with your thumbs up, not your palms down. ACE starts palms down but turns the thumbs slightly up as the arms pass about 60 to 70 degrees.

Sources 5, 6, 7

To shoulder height

Raise to about shoulder height, arms parallel to the floor, as ACE teaches; the main study stopped there too.

Sources 6, 1

Light, for 10 to 15 reps

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 (our move pages) or 2 sets of 12 (our shoulder workout), resting 60 to 90 seconds, with the last set 0 to 2 reps short of failure. Light enough not to lean back or swing.

Source 8

What a front raise is, and what it works

The lift

Standing or seated, you raise one or two weights in front of you on nearly straight arms to about shoulder height, then lower them slowly. ACE rates it a beginner exercise.

Source 6

The muscles

Mostly the front of the shoulder and the upper (clavicular) part of the chest; the side of the shoulder helps a little and the back of the shoulder barely works. Above shoulder height, the serratus anterior and trapezius work more as your shoulder blade turns upwards.

Sources 1, 2, 9

Where it fits

The researcher behind the ACE study put it bluntly: if you do front raises, shoulder presses and lateral raises, you've doubled up on the front of the shoulder and neglected the back. A front raise is an optional extra, not a staple.

Source 2

Activity isn't growth

Most raise studies use EMG (electromyography: electrodes measuring how hard a muscle works over a few reps), which isn't a validated predictor of which exercise grows a muscle more. The bench press trial below measured growth itself.

Source 10

Do you need front raises? What the evidence says

What the front raise worksEmerging evidence

In 10 competitive bodybuilders doing seated raises with a weight they could lift 8 times, the front raise worked the front of the shoulder harder than every lateral raise version, and the upper chest by a wide margin; the side and back of the shoulder played a negligible part. In the ACE study of 16 men, the front raise drew 57% of maximum from the front of the shoulder, 36% from the side and 9% from the back.

Sources 1, 2

Presses work the front of the shoulder harderEmerging evidence

The dumbbell shoulder press drew 74% of maximum from the front of the shoulder against 57% for the front raise, the highest of 10 exercises. In 13 trained men, the shoulder press drew 33% against 21% for the bench press and lateral raise and 19% for the fly. A review of 33 studies found pressing and fly movements, especially on an incline, worked the front of the shoulder hardest.

Sources 2, 3, 11

Bench pressing grew the front of the shoulderEmerging evidence

In 24 men, 10 weeks of bench pressing (3 sessions a week, 3 to 4 sets of 12) grew the chest, the front of the shoulder and the triceps more than in 11 men who didn't train, measured on MRI. In another 6-week trial in 18 men, the front of the shoulder thickened by about 2 to 3 mm; its summary names bench press and squat tests but not the whole programme.

Sources 4, 12

If you press, you may not need themEmerging evidence

No trial has added front raises to a pressing programme and measured the front of the shoulder, so this is an inference from the activity studies and the bench press trial. Front raises still make sense if you can't press comfortably, or want a few extra front-shoulder sets.

Sources 4, 2, 3

Pre-exhausting with a front raise changed nothingEmerging evidence

In 8 experienced lifters, a set of front raises before a heavy bench press didn't change how hard the front of the shoulder or the chest worked in the press.

Source 13

How to do a front raise, step by step

From ACE's front raise and our move pages; the thumbs-up grip follows a hospital shoulder handout. The demo raises one arm at a time with the thumb leading.

Stand tall with your feet about hip to shoulder-width apart, or in a small split stance, a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
Turn your thumbs to point forward, palms facing each other: the shoulder-friendly default.
Brace lightly, with your shoulders down and back and your elbows straight or slightly bent.
Breathing out, raise the weight in front of you to shoulder height, arm about parallel to the floor, without leaning back or swinging. If you started palms down, turn your thumbs slightly up as your arms pass about 60 to 70 degrees.
Pause briefly, then breathe in and lower slowly to your thigh.
Raise one arm at a time, or both together: it's the same movement.

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

The movement on the figure: Alternating hammer-grip front raise

Thumbs up or down, and how high

Thumbs up suits most shouldersEmerging evidence

A hospital physiotherapy handout says to raise with your thumb up, which it calls usually safer, and not to use a palm-down grip. An ACE continuing-education article says a palm-down grip turns the arm in, which can narrow the space at the front of the shoulder and pinch the biceps tendon there, and suggests palms facing in or raising in a V. ACE's exercise library starts palms down but turns the thumbs up past about 60 to 70 degrees. This is expert guidance rather than a trial.

Sources 5, 7, 6

To shoulder heightEmerging evidence

ACE raises the arms to shoulder level, about parallel to the floor, and the main front raise study stopped at 90 degrees, the same point.

Sources 6, 1

Going higherEmerging evidence

Raising the arms well above shoulder height works the serratus anterior and trapezius more. In 77 men, signs of shoulder impingement were linked with lateral raises and upright rows taken above 90 degrees; front raises weren't studied. Go higher only if your shoulders are happy there, as our raise-to-overhead move pages say.

Sources 9, 14

Dumbbell, plate, cable, band and barbell front raises

Dumbbells

Both arms together, one at a time (the alternating front raise), or with a hammer grip, thumbs leading. One dumbbell held by its head in both hands works too; use a fixed dumbbell or check the collars.

A plate

Hold it at the sides and raise it to shoulder height on nearly straight arms, as our move page does.

A cable

Stand with your back to a low pulley, the handle in one hand in front of your thighs, and raise your straight arm forward. A cable keeps the pull on at the bottom; in the side of the shoulder, cable and dumbbell raises grew the muscle equally in a 24-person trial.

Source 15

A band

Stand on the middle of a band, an end in each hand, and raise as with dumbbells. Bands built strength about as well as weights across 8 studies. We have no 3D demo of a band front raise: follow the cable front raise's demo.

Source 16

Seated or chest-supported

Sitting, or lying face down on an incline bench, takes the swing out (our move pages).

A barbell, and raises to overhead

An overhand barbell grip turns the arms in, so stop at shoulder height if it pinches. Raising all the way overhead needs a full, pain-free overhead reach without arching your back, as our move pages say.

Front raises, from the friendliest grip

The alternating hammer-grip front raise and the two-hand dumbbell front raise, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 (each arm when alternating), stopping 2 or 3 reps short (their move pages); the two-dumbbell front raise, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 within the pain rule (our shoulder impingement guide); the alternating front raise, 2 sets of 12 (our shoulder workout); the plate and cable front raises, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 (our editorial starting points).

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

3D demoAlternating hammer-grip front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Two-hand dumbbell front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTwo-hand dumbbell front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFront raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Alternating front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoAlternating front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Plate front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoPlate front raiseBeginner · Weight plates + Medicine ball

Cable front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCable front raiseBeginner · A cable machine

Incline, V-shaped and overhead raises

The incline dumbbell front raise, the chest-supported barbell front raise and the raises to overhead, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 or 3 reps short (their move pages); the scaption raise (a V-shaped raise, thumbs up), 3 sets of 15 (our shoulder impingement guide); the lateral raise to front raise, 2 sets of 10 to 12 (our editorial starting point).

Incline dumbbell front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoIncline dumbbell front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

Chest-supported barbell front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest-supported barbell front raiseBeginner · A barbell + A bench or box

Scaption raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Lateral raise to front raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLateral raise to front raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Dumbbell front raise to overhead demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell front raise to overheadIntermediate · A dumbbell

Barbell front raise to overhead demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBarbell front raise to overheadIntermediate · A barbell

Front raises against presses, lateral raises and upright rows

Presses

Presses worked the front of the shoulder harder than the front raise and train your triceps and chest too. Our overhead press and Arnold press guides teach them.

Sources 2, 3

Lateral raises

Lateral raises work the side of the shoulder, which the bench press and fly barely work (5% or less in one study) and the overhead press works a little less than a lateral raise. If you have room for one raise, make it the lateral raise.

Source 3

Upright rows

Upright rows taken above shoulder height were linked with signs of impingement in weight trainers; our upright row guide covers how to keep them shoulder-friendly.

Source 14

The Y raise

Lying face down and raising your arms in a Y works the lower trapezius and the back of the shoulder rather than the front: it's in our prone Y-T-W raises.

Sets, reps and how often

Sets and reps

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 (our move pages) or 2 sets of 12 (our shoulder workout), with most sets 1 to 3 RIR (reps in reserve: how many more reps you could have done) and the last set 0 to 2, as our plans' notes say for small moves.

How heavy

Light enough to lift without leaning back or swinging. People underestimate how many reps they have left by about 1, so stop when your trunk starts to move.

Source 17

Rest

60 to 90 seconds; a review found nothing clear for growth past about 90 seconds.

Source 8

How much front-shoulder work you need

Most people who press twice a week already give the front of the shoulder plenty of work. If you want more, 2 to 4 direct sets a week is a sensible add-on (our editorial starting point).

Source 18

Moving up

Add reps before weight: for a small muscle, the next dumbbell up is a big jump.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Leaning back and swinging

Use a lighter weight, a split stance, or a seated or chest-supported version.

Shrugging

Keep your shoulders down and back as your arms rise.

Source 6

A pinch at the front of the shoulder with your palms down

Turn your thumbs up.

Sources 5, 7

Going higher than your shoulder likes

Stop at shoulder height.

Source 6

Locking your elbows hard

Keep a slight bend (coaching practice).

Dropping the weight

Lower over about 2 seconds, as the main study's lifters did.

Source 1

Front raises and your shoulders

Part of shoulder rehab

Our shoulder impingement guide uses the front raise at 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, keeping pain to about 5 out of 10 or less and settled by your next session.

Pain at the front of the shoulder

A palm-down grip may pinch the biceps tendon at the front of the shoulder: turn your thumbs up, and see our biceps tendinitis and front-of-shoulder pain guides.

Source 7

With a sore shoulder

Raise with your thumbs up, to shoulder height or lower, with light weights. The NHS says not to make up your own strenuous exercises or use heavy gym equipment while your shoulder hurts.

Source 19

Shoulder injuries in the gymEmerging evidence

In backward-looking studies, up to 36% of weight-training injuries were at the shoulder, but injury rates in bodybuilding-style training were low, about 0.24 to 1 injury per 1,000 hours. No study has counted injuries from front raises.

Sources 20, 21

Who should change it

Pain on top of the shoulder

Stay below shoulder height (our suggestion), and see our AC joint pain guide.

Lower back pain when standing

Use a seated or chest-supported version.

High blood pressure

Breathe out as you lift and keep the weights moderate, as our breathing guide says. High blood pressure means readings of 140/90 or higher; with controlled blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe.

Sources 22, 23

Pregnancy

Standing and seated versions suit; the NHS says strength training is fine if you already do it. Avoid long spells lying face down on an incline bench as your bump grows (our suggestion).

Source 24

The rest of your shoulder training

The standing overhead press, 3 sets of 6 to 10, and lateral raises, 3 sets of 12 to 20 (our push day workout); bent-over reverse flys, 3 sets of 12 to 15 (our shoulder workout); band external rotations, 2 sets of 12 to 15 each arm (our shoulder workout at home); shoulder circles (CARs), 3 slow circles each way with each arm (their move page).

Standing overhead press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding overhead pressIntermediate · A barbell + A dumbbell

Dumbbell lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

Bent-over reverse fly demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBent-over reverse flyIntermediate · A dumbbell

Standing band external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoShoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)Beginner · No equipment

Workouts to follow

Only our shoulder workout uses a front raise, 2 sets of 12. If you press twice a week, you can swap it for another set of lateral raises (our suggestion); the push day workout and the shoulders and arms workout show how much pressing already works the front of the shoulder.

Shoulder workout

A shoulder workout for all three heads: overhead press, lateral raises, reverse flyes, face pulls and rotations.

40 minIntermediate8 movesA band, A barbell

Shoulder workout at home: presses, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work

A 30-minute home shoulder workout with dumbbells or a band: presses, lateral raises for the side of the shoulder, and rear-shoulder and rotator cuff work.

30 minBeginner8 movesA band, A dumbbell

Push day workout

A push day workout for chest, shoulders and triceps: bench press, overhead press, incline dumbbell press, lateral raises and pushdowns.

55 minIntermediate10 movesA band, A barbell

Shoulders and arms workout: presses, raises, curls and extensions (gym)

A 45-minute gym workout for shoulders and arms: overhead presses, lateral raises with face pulls, then two biceps and triceps pairs, with sets, reps and rest.

45 minIntermediate11 movesA band, A barbell

Plans with a shoulder day

The bro split's shoulder day includes the front raise; the Arnold split pairs shoulders with arms.

5 days a week

5-day body-part split (bro split)

The classic chest, back, legs, shoulders and arms week, built from our gym workouts, with what research says about training each muscle once.

5 training days45 minIntermediate 6 days a week

Arnold split: a 6-day chest and back, shoulders and arms, legs workout plan

A 6-day Arnold split: chest and back, shoulders and arms, then legs, each twice a week, with paired sets, weekly set counts and shorter 3 and 4-day versions.

6 training days55 minAdvanced

Warning signs

Stop and get medical help

If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise. The American Heart Association says these need immediate medical evaluation.

Source 22

Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that feels tight, heavy or squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck, jaw or back; arm pain that comes on suddenly with pressure, heaviness or squeezing across your chest; a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint; severe difficulty breathing; or angina pain that doesn't stop after rest and your medicine. Don't drive yourself to A&E.

Sources 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33

Check before lifting heavy

If you haven't exercised for some time or have a medical condition, speak to your GP first, as the NHS advises. Get advice before heavy lifting if your blood pressure is uncontrolled, or you have heart disease or chest pain when you're active, a pacemaker or defibrillator, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, a hernia, recent eye or tummy surgery, or you're pregnant, as our breathing guide lists.

Sources 34, 22

After a faint, or dizziness that keeps coming back

See a GP after any faint, and for dizziness that won't go away or keeps coming back.

Sources 30, 35

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111

If you have sudden or very bad shoulder pain, you can't move your arm, your shoulder has changed shape or is badly swollen, you have pins and needles that don't go away, no feeling in your arm, an arm that's hot or cold, pain after an injury or fall, severe pain in both shoulders, or you feel feverish or unwell. The NHS says these can be signs of something serious, like a broken or dislocated bone, or a torn ligament or tendon.

Source 19

See a GP

If shoulder pain is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself, or it's very hard to move your arm. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.

Source 19

Myths

"You need front raises for big shoulders"Emerging evidence

Presses worked the front of the shoulder harder than front raises and grew it on MRI. No trial has added front raises to presses, so if you press regularly, you may not need them.

Sources 2, 3, 4

"Front raises are a waste of time"Emerging evidence

They work the front of the shoulder and the upper chest strongly, and they suit people who can't press comfortably. They're optional, not useless.

Sources 1, 2

"Palms down is the proper grip"Emerging evidence

A hospital handout advises thumbs up and no palm-down grip, and ACE turns the thumbs up partway; expert guidance favours thumbs up or palms facing in.

Sources 5, 6, 7

"Raise to eye level or overhead"Emerging evidence

ACE stops at shoulder height, as did the main study. Higher works the shoulder-blade muscles more and is optional for healthy shoulders.

Sources 6, 1, 9

Questions people ask

What muscles do front raises work?

The front of your shoulder (the anterior deltoid) and the upper part of your chest, with a little help from the side of the shoulder. The back of the shoulder barely works, which is why shoulder programmes pair raises with reverse flys or face pulls.

Do I need front raises if I do the shoulder press?

You may not. The shoulder press worked the front of the shoulder harder than the front raise, and bench pressing grew it in a 10-week trial. No trial has added front raises to presses, so if you press regularly, your raise sets may do more for the side and back of your shoulder.

Are front raises a waste of time?

No. They work the front of the shoulder and the upper chest strongly, and they suit people who can't press comfortably or want a few extra sets. They're optional if you press, not useless.

Front raises: thumbs up or palms down?

Thumbs up suits most shoulders: a hospital shoulder handout advises the thumb-up position and no palm-down grip, and an expert article says palms down may pinch the biceps tendon at the front of the shoulder. If you start palms down, turn your thumbs slightly up as your arms pass about 60 to 70 degrees.

How high should front raises go?

To shoulder height, with your arms about parallel to the floor. Going higher works the shoulder-blade muscles more and is optional if your shoulders are happy there; stop lower if it pinches.

How heavy should front raises be?

Light enough to lift without leaning back or swinging, for 10 to 15 controlled reps. Add reps before you add weight.

How many sets and reps of front raises should I do?

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, or 2 sets of 12, resting 60 to 90 seconds, with the last set 0 to 2 reps short of failure. If you press twice a week, 2 to 4 direct sets a week is plenty.

Front raise or lateral raise?

Lateral raises work the side of the shoulder, which bench presses barely work; front raises work the front, which presses already work hard. If you have room for one raise, make it the lateral raise.

Dumbbell, plate, cable or band front raises?

All of them work. A plate or one dumbbell in both hands is simplest, a cable keeps the pull on at the bottom, and bands built strength about as well as weights in studies.

Why do front raises hurt my shoulder?

Common reasons are a palm-down grip, raising above shoulder height and swinging a heavy weight. Turn your thumbs up and lower the height and the weight; see a GP if shoulder pain is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks.

Do front raises work the chest?

Yes, the upper part: in one study the upper chest worked harder in front raises than in any lateral raise. Presses and flys remain the main chest exercises.

Sources

Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.