Intermediate

Incline Dumbbell Front Raise

Reclining on an incline bench lets the arms start behind the body, so the front delt is challenged in a lengthened position that a standing raise never reaches. That deeper stretch is where a lot of growth stimulus lives. Treat it as a strict, controlled accessory rather than a heavy movement.

Equipment
Bench, Dumbbell
Body part
Shoulder
Type
Strength
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Deltoid Anterior
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Shoulder Raise
Muscles worked
Target
Deltoid Anterior
Secondary
Pectoralis Major Clavicular
Tertiary
Deltoid Middle, Trapezius Upper

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set an incline bench to about 45 to 60 degrees and lie back against it.

  2. 2

    Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms hanging down and slightly behind the torso.

  3. 3

    Keep a soft elbow bend and brace your core.

  4. 4

    Raise both dumbbells forward and up to shoulder height.

  5. 5

    Pause briefly, feeling the front delt work.

  6. 6

    Lower slowly back into the stretch behind the body, then repeat.

Tips

  • Let the arms travel behind you at the bottom to earn the stretch.
  • Keep the weight modest so you can control the lengthened position.
  • Do not arch off the bench to cheat the reps up.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The lower back peels off the pad as the arms swing behind the torso, turning a few extra inches of arch into range that was never actually earned by the shoulder.
  • Letting the dumbbells drop too fast into the stretched position behind the body loads the front of the shoulder with a sudden jolt instead of a controlled stretch.
  • The bench angle gets set too upright, closer to vertical than 60 degrees, which removes most of the extra behind-body stretch this version is meant to add.
  • Once the shoulders start to fatigue, the raise stops well short of shoulder height even though the arms still swing fully behind the torso on the way down.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the incline dumbbell front raise should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Two to three sets of 8 to 10 reps with a light pair of dumbbells is plenty, since the behind-body stretch position adds difficulty that a standing front raise does not have. Progress by lowering the bench angle gradually toward 45 degrees for a deeper stretch before adding weight.
What can you do instead of the incline dumbbell front raise without an incline bench?
A standing dumbbell or plate front raise trains the same front delt without the behind-body stretch, and a band front raise is a reasonable option if a bench is not available at all.
What is the incline dumbbell front raise good for, and when should you choose a standing version instead?
The bench lets the arms travel into a lengthened position behind the torso that a standing raise cannot reach, which appeals to lifters chasing extra front-delt stretch for hypertrophy. It is not a good choice for anyone with cranky shoulders, since loading that behind-the-body stretch position can aggravate the front of the joint, and a standing front raise is the safer option in that case.

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