Exercise Library
Barbell Front Raise
Stand tall holding a barbell with an overhand grip in front of your thighs. Keeping your arms straight (or with a slight bend) and your torso still, lift the barbell forward and up until it reaches about shoulder level. Pause briefly at the top, then slowly lower it back to the starting position under control. Focus on using your shoulder muscles rather than momentum to lift the weight.
Primary muscle
Anterior deltoids (front shoulders)
Secondary muscles
with secondary engagement of lateral deltoids and upper chest
Equipment
Barbell
Category
Shoulders
How to Do the Barbell Front Raise
- Stand with feet hip width apart holding a light barbell against your thighs with an overhand, shoulder width grip.
- Brace your core and soften your knees so your torso stays still throughout the set.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the bar straight out in front of you.
- Stop when the bar reaches shoulder height and your arms are parallel to the floor.
- Pause briefly at the top without shrugging your shoulders toward your ears.
- Lower the bar back to your thighs over two to three seconds.
- Repeat for 10 to 15 reps, keeping the movement smooth in both directions.
Common Mistakes
- Swinging with the hips: Rocking backward to heave the bar up shifts work away from the delts. If you need body english, the bar is too heavy.
- Raising above shoulder height: Going higher mostly recruits the traps and crowds the shoulder joint. Parallel to the floor is the finish line.
- Locking the elbows: Dead straight arms stress the elbow joint and biceps tendon. Keep a soft bend from start to finish.
- Dropping the bar down: Letting gravity do the lowering wastes half the rep. The front delts should control every centimeter of the descent.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your barbell front raise sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.