Dumbbell Front Raise
Direct work for the front of the shoulder. Useful if you don’t bench or press much.
Drag to rotate
Muscles worked
How to do the dumbbell front raise
- 1Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you.
- 2Raise the arms straight in front of you to shoulder height.
- 3Pause briefly, then lower under control.
When to pick it: Pick it sparingly — if you already bench and overhead press, your front delts are covered.
Form cues
- Torso still
- Stop at eye level at most
- Slow on the way down
Common mistakes
- Leaning back to swing the weight
- Going above shoulder height with heavy weight
- Bending the elbows more as you lift
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1–2 min |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 30–60 s |
Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time.
Equipment taken? Swap it for
These train the same muscles with different equipment.
More front delts exercises
All front delts exercises →
General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain, and check with a clinician before starting if you have an injury or a health condition.