The 8 Best Front Raise Alternatives (2026)

The front raise is a shoulder isolation exercise that trains your anterior deltoid through shoulder flexion. You hold a weight in front of your thighs and raise it forward and up to about shoulder height, keeping your elbows nearly straight the whole time. It’s a simple exercise, but it does a good job of isolating the front of the shoulder in a way that pressing movements don’t, since your triceps and chest aren’t around to share the load.

You might want an alternative for a few reasons. Standing dumbbell front raises put the shoulder in a mechanically weak position right at the top, where a lot of lifters feel pinching or discomfort, especially if they raise the weight above shoulder height. Some gyms don’t have a spare set of light dumbbells free when you need them, and if you train at home you might only have a barbell or a band. Or maybe your front delts are already well developed from bench pressing and overhead pressing, and what you actually need is a smarter way to hit them without adding more isolation volume than your shoulders can recover from.

Here are the 8 front raise alternatives I’d reach for, picked for how well they train the anterior delt, how safe they are on the shoulder joint, and what equipment they need. A few of these are near-identical swaps for the exact same slot in your program, and a couple are heavier compound lifts that build the front delt as part of a bigger movement instead of in isolation. I’ll tell you when to use each one and exactly how to do it.

Table of Contents

1 The 8 Best Front Raise Alternatives
2 Reasons to Choose a Front Raise Alternative
3 Muscles Worked by the Front Raise
4 FAQs
5 Key Takeaways
6 Other Alternative Exercises

The 8 Best Front Raise Alternatives

Cable Front Raise
Plate Front Raise
Incline Front Raise
Banded Front Raise
Landmine Press
Arnold Press
Overhead Press
Lateral Raise

1. Cable Front Raise

When to Perform Cable Front Raises

This is the closest swap I’ve got for a standard front raise. A dumbbell loses most of its resistance at the top of the rep once your arm is close to vertical, but a cable keeps pulling the whole time, so your front delt never gets a break mid-set. Use it when you have access to a low pulley and want more constant tension than a dumbbell can give you, or when you’re training front delts as part of a cable-only shoulder day. I usually run this for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

How to Perform Cable Front Raises

Attach a single handle to a low pulley and stand facing away from the stack, feet shoulder width apart.
Grab the handle with one hand, arm hanging by your side, palm facing your thigh.
Keep a slight bend in your elbow and raise your arm straight out in front of you to about shoulder height.
Lower back down under control to the starting position.

Equipment: cable machine, low pulley, single handle.

This video from Physique Development shows how to perform the front delt cable raise.

How to: Front Delt Cable Raise | Form Tutorial

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for Cable Front Raises

Don’t lean your torso back to help lift the weight. If you’re using your lower back, the load is too heavy.
Keep a small bend in your elbow throughout the set.
Control the lowering phase instead of letting the cable snap your arm back down.
A straight bar attachment lets you raise both arms at once if you’d rather train them together.

For more cable-only shoulder options, see our cable shoulder exercises guide.

2. Plate Front Raise

When to Perform Plate Front Raises

Reach for this when you’re training at a gym with limited dumbbell options, or when you just want a quick front delt finisher and there’s a plate sitting on the floor next to the rack. It also builds a bit more grip demand than a dumbbell, since you’re pinching the plate instead of wrapping your hand around a handle. I’d program this for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps at the end of a push day.

How to Perform Plate Front Raises

Stand holding a weight plate with both hands, palms facing your body, plate resting against your thighs.
Brace your core and keep a slight bend in your elbows.
Raise the plate straight out in front of you until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
Lower the plate back down under control.

Equipment: one weight plate.

This video from PureGym shows how to perform front plate raises.

How To Do Front Plate Raises

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for Plate Front Raises

Grip the plate at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions for a more stable hold.
Stop at eye level. Raising the plate any higher shifts the stress off your front delt and onto your shoulder joint.
Keep your ribs down and avoid leaning back to launch the plate up.
A smaller-diameter plate is easier to control than a large bumper plate at the same weight.

If you’d rather train front delts with dumbbells instead, check our front delt dumbbell exercises roundup.

3. Incline Front Raise

When to Perform Incline Front Raises

This is the strictest option on the list. Lying face down on an incline bench takes your lower back completely out of the movement, so there’s no way to cheat the weight up with body english. I use this when I want a pure hypertrophy stimulus on the front delt, or when standing raises start bothering my lower back from all the slight leaning. Expect to use less weight than you would standing, since you’re isolating the muscle so completely. I run 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps here.

How to Perform Incline Front Raises

Set an incline bench to about 45 degrees and lie face down with your chest supported.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging straight down toward the floor.
Raise both arms forward and up until they’re roughly in line with your torso.
Lower back down under control until your arms hang straight again.

Equipment: incline bench, a pair of dumbbells.

This video from Hammer Fitness shows how to perform the chest-supported incline bench front raise.

Chest Supported Incline Bench Front Raises: How To

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for Incline Front Raises

Keep a slight bend in your elbows through the whole rep.
Don’t let the dumbbells rest at the bottom between reps. Keeping light tension there keeps the front delt working.
Go lighter than you would standing. Without momentum to help, the muscle fatigues faster.
Keep your head in a neutral position instead of craning your neck to watch the dumbbells.

4. Banded Front Raise

When to Perform Banded Front Raises

This is your no-gym option, the one you can throw in a suitcase or keep in a desk drawer. A band also loads the exercise differently than a dumbbell does, since resistance climbs as you raise your arm instead of staying roughly constant, so the top of the rep is the hardest part instead of the easiest. I use this while traveling, as a light warm-up before heavier pressing, or as a finisher when I want higher reps without loading the joint hard. Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.

How to Perform Banded Front Raises

Stand on the middle of a resistance band with both feet, holding one end in each hand.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows, palms facing your thighs.
Raise your arms forward and up to shoulder height.
Lower back down under control, resisting the band the whole way instead of letting it snap you back.

Equipment: one resistance band.

This video from Coach Haris shows how to perform the band front raise.

How to Do Band Front Raise - Exercise Tutorial

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for Banded Front Raises

Stand wider on the band for more resistance, narrower for less.
Keep tension on the band at the bottom of the rep instead of letting it go slack.
Expect the top of the rep to feel hardest, since that’s how bands load.
Anchor the band evenly under both feet so it doesn’t shift or slide out from under you mid-set.

5. Landmine Press

When to Perform the Landmine Press

This is the first of two compound options on the list, and I’d use it when I want to add real strength and size to the front delt instead of just pumping it out with isolation work. The angled bar path is easier on the shoulder joint than a straight overhead press, since the bar travels up and slightly forward instead of straight up over your head. Program this as a main lift on push day for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

How to Perform the Landmine Press

Load a barbell into a landmine attachment, or wedge it securely into a corner.
Hold the free end of the bar at shoulder height with one hand, palm facing in.
Press the bar up and slightly forward until your arm is fully extended.
Lower back down under control to shoulder height.

Equipment: barbell, landmine attachment (a corner and a folded towel to protect the bar works too).

This video from Onnit, presented by Sean Hyson, shows how to perform the landmine press.

The Experts Guide To The Landmine Press | Sean Hyson

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Landmine Press

A half-kneeling stance adds stability if standing feels wobbly under load.
Brace your core so you don’t lean back to help drive the bar up.
Switch hands each set so both sides get even work.
Start lighter than you’d expect. The single-arm setup adds a rotational demand a straight bar press doesn’t have.

6. Arnold Press

When to Perform the Arnold Press

The Arnold press starts with your palms facing you at shoulder height, which is close to the bottom position of a front raise, then rotates into a standard overhead press as you push up. That rotation puts real demand on the front delt right where a front raise trains it, then finishes the rep with the delt working through a full overhead range too. Use it when you want one dumbbell exercise that covers the front delt and builds pressing size at the same time. I’d run 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

How to Perform the Arnold Press

Sit or stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing your body.
Press the dumbbells up while rotating your palms to face forward, finishing with your arms extended overhead.
Reverse the rotation as you lower the dumbbells, ending with palms facing you again at shoulder height.

Equipment: a pair of dumbbells, bench optional.

This video from MuscleWiki shows how to perform the Arnold press.

How To Arnold Press in 4 Minutes - Form Secrets, Mistakes to Avoid

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Arnold Press

Control the rotation instead of muscling through it. The wrist and shoulder need time to track the movement.
Start lighter than your usual overhead press weight, since the rotation adds a stability demand a straight press doesn’t have.
The seated version is easier to control if the standing version feels unstable.
Keep the dumbbells close to your head on the way up rather than pressing them out and away from your body.

7. Overhead Press

When to Perform the Overhead Press

This is the heaviest loading option on the list and the one I’d pick if strength is the actual goal. Your front delt is the prime mover through most of the range, and you can load a barbell overhead press far past anything you’d raise with a front raise. Program it as a main lift, with 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

How to Perform the Overhead Press

Set a barbell in a rack at about shoulder height and grip it just outside shoulder width.
Unrack the bar and hold it against your upper chest, elbows slightly in front of the bar.
Brace your core and press the bar straight up, moving your head back slightly to let the bar clear your face.
Lock out overhead with the bar over your midfoot, then lower it back to your chest under control.

Equipment: barbell, rack.

This video from Buff Dudes shows how to perform the barbell overhead press.

How to Perform Overhead Press - Proper Technique & Form

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Overhead Press

Squeeze your glutes instead of leaning back to fake a lockout.
Don’t flare your elbows too wide at the bottom. Keep them roughly under the bar.
A slight forward lean of the torso as the bar passes your face is normal, don’t fight it.
If a straight bar bothers your shoulders, try a slightly wider grip or switch to dumbbells for a bit.

For more ways to build pressing strength, see our overhead press alternatives guide.

8. Lateral Raise

When to Perform Lateral Raises

The lateral raise trains a different plane of motion than a front raise, out to the side instead of forward. I’m including it because most lifters already get plenty of front delt work from bench pressing and overhead pressing, but the side delt gets neglected. If your front delts feel fine and your shoulders look flat from the side, this is the exercise that actually needs the volume. Use it alongside another item on this list rather than as your only front raise replacement. I run 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

How to Perform Lateral Raises

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows and raise both arms out to the sides until they’re roughly parallel to the floor.
Pause briefly at the top, then lower back down under control.

Equipment: a pair of dumbbells.

This video from Renaissance Periodization shows how to perform the dumbbell lateral raise.

The Only Dumbbell Lateral Raise Guide You Need (For Side Delt Growth)

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for Lateral Raises

Lead with your elbows, not your hands.
Stop at shoulder height instead of shrugging the weight higher.
Tilting the dumbbells slightly so your pinkies sit higher than your thumbs can ease shoulder discomfort for some lifters.
Use a light weight and strict form. Momentum ruins this exercise faster than almost any other.

For more ways to build the side delt, see our lateral raise alternatives guide.

Reasons to Choose a Front Raise Alternative

There are a few good reasons to swap the front raise for one of the options above. None of them are a downgrade, and a few let you load the front delt far heavier than an isolation raise ever will. For a broader look at anterior deltoid training, see our front delt exercises guide.

You don’t have dumbbells free. A plate, a band, a cable, or a barbell all cover the same movement pattern.
Standing front raises bother your shoulder at the top. The incline version and the cable version both keep the range shorter and the resistance more controlled through the sticking point.
You want to add real strength. The overhead press, landmine press, and Arnold press let you load far heavier than a front raise ever will, since you’re pressing instead of just raising.
You train at home with minimal gear. A single band or dumbbell covers this movement without a gym trip.
Your front delts are already overworked. If you bench and overhead press regularly, swapping isolation front raise volume for a compound lift like the landmine press builds the muscle without piling on extra isolation sets.
You’re rebuilding a cranky shoulder. The banded version lets you load the pattern with almost nothing on the joint, so you can keep training around soreness instead of skipping shoulder work entirely.

Muscles Worked by the Front Raise

Your anterior deltoid sits at the front of your shoulder and is the prime mover on a front raise, since raising your arm forward and up is shoulder flexion, exactly what that head of the deltoid does. Your deltoid actually has three separate heads, anterior, lateral, and posterior, and they don’t grow at the same rate from the same exercises. A lifter who only presses and never trains the side or rear delt tends to end up with round shoulders from the front and flat ones from the side, which is why picking the right alternative matters more than just picking the heaviest one. The alternatives above train that same anterior head, some in isolation and some as part of a bigger pressing movement:

Anterior deltoid: the primary target on every exercise on this list, loaded hardest through shoulder flexion on the front raise variations and through the pressing path on the compound options.
Lateral deltoid: assists on the front raise variations and is the prime mover on the lateral raise, giving your shoulder its width from the side.
Clavicular head of the pec major: the upper chest fibers help stabilize the shoulder on front raises and contribute directly on pressing movements like the overhead press and landmine press.
Serratus anterior: works to rotate your shoulder blade upward as your arm travels overhead on the pressing variations, especially the overhead press and Arnold press.
Triceps brachii: handles elbow extension on every pressing option, though it stays mostly inactive on the pure isolation raises where your elbow barely bends.
Upper trapezius: stabilizes your shoulder blade throughout, working harder as the weight gets heavier on the compound lifts.

If your front delts are lagging behind the rest of your shoulder, check our guide on how to grow underdeveloped front delts.

FAQs

What’s the closest alternative to a front raise?

The cable front raise. It’s the same shoulder flexion pattern, just with constant tension from the cable instead of a dumbbell that goes weightless near the top. The plate front raise is a close second if you don’t have a cable station free.

Do I even need front raises if I already bench and overhead press?

Probably not much of them. Bench pressing and overhead pressing already load the anterior deltoid heavily, so adding a lot of isolation front raise volume on top can be more than the joint needs. Some lifters develop shoulder pinching or tendon irritation from stacking front raises on top of a heavy pressing block, and cutting the isolation work back is often the fix. If your front delts already look developed, you’re better off spending that volume on lateral raises or rear delt work instead.

What’s the best front raise alternative for bad shoulders?

The incline front raise or the banded front raise. Both keep the load light and controlled, and neither pushes you into the fully raised, mechanically weak overhead position that tends to cause pinching. If a specific exercise hurts, shorten the range before you drop the weight, and give the joint a week or two of lighter work before pushing it hard again. Cutting overhead pressing volume for a couple of weeks while the shoulder settles down usually helps more than any single exercise swap.

What’s the best front raise alternative at home?

The banded front raise if you have no equipment at all, and the plate front raise if you’ve got a single weight plate. Between the two, you can train the front delt without ever needing a gym.

Why do front raises hurt my shoulder?

Usually it’s raising the weight too high. Once your arm passes shoulder height, the front raise puts your shoulder in a position where the space under the acromion narrows and tendons can get pinched. Stop the raise at shoulder height instead of going higher, and drop the weight if the pinching doesn’t go away.

How many front delt exercises should I do per workout?

One is usually enough on a day where you’re also pressing, since the front delt already gets heavily worked by the bench press or overhead press before you’d isolate it. On a dedicated shoulder day, one isolation front raise variation plus a compound press covers the muscle without piling on junk volume.

How much weight should I use for a front raise alternative?

Less than you’d think. The front raise and its isolation variants use a long lever arm with your whole arm as the resistance, so a weight that feels light on a lateral raise or curl can feel heavy here. Start with something you can control for a full 10 to 12 reps with a slight pause at the top, and add weight in small jumps once that gets easy. On the compound options like the overhead press and landmine press, you can load closer to what you’d use on a regular pressing exercise.

Is the front raise a compound or isolation exercise?

It’s an isolation exercise. Only your shoulder joint moves, and your elbow stays nearly straight the whole rep, so no other joint is doing meaningful work. That’s the main reason lifters swap it for a compound option like the landmine press or overhead press when they want the front delt to grow alongside real strength gains instead of training it on its own.

Key Takeaways

If you want the closest one-for-one swap, go with the cable front raise. If your goal is real strength and size, the overhead press or landmine press will build the front delt as part of a bigger, heavier movement instead of asking you to isolate it. Training at home with a single band or plate still works, just expect to use lighter loads and higher reps. And if your front delts are already well developed from pressing, skip the isolation volume entirely and put that work into lateral raises instead, since most lifters need side delt work more than they need another front raise variation. Pick based on your equipment, your goals, and how your shoulder feels, and progress it the same way you’d progress any isolation exercise: more weight or more reps over time.

Other Alternative Exercises

If you enjoyed this post, check out our other roundups of the best alternatives for other exercises.

About Kyle Risley

Kyle Risley founded Lift Vault in 2016 to make finding great powerlifting programs easier. Since then, the site has grown to include hundreds of programs for strength, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and more. He currently lives in Massachusetts and continues to compete in powerlifting.