10 Best Barbell Front Raise Alternatives for Shoulder Strength

If you can't do the barbell front raise, use dumbbell front raises, single-arm cable raises, plate raises, resistance-band front raises, or a pike push-up to hit the anterior deltoid. Keep the movement at the shoulder joint, maintain a soft elbow, and lift with slow eccentrics to maximize delt tension and reduce impingement risk.

Original Exercise: Barbell Front Raise

Barbell Front Raise
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Biceps, Triceps
How to Perform Barbell Front Raise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
  2. Keep your arms straight and lift the barbell forward and upward until it reaches shoulder level.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Barbell Front Raise Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Standing Front Raise Over Head

1. Barbell Standing Front Raise Over Head

91% Match
Delts Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
  2. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
  3. Slowly raise the barbell in front of you, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down.
  4. Continue lifting until the barbell is slightly above shoulder level.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Dumbbell Standing Front Raise Above Head

2. Dumbbell Standing Front Raise Above Head

89.3% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Keep your arms straight and lift the dumbbells in front of you, raising them above your head.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Front Plate Raise

3. Front Plate Raise

89.2% Match
Delts Other Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While standing straight, hold a barbell plate in both hands at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. Your palms should be facing each other and your arms should be extended and locked with a slight bend at the elbows and the plate should be down near your waist in front of you as far as you can go. Tip: The arms will remain in this position throughout the exercise. This will be your starting position.
  2. Slowly raise the plate as you exhale until it is a little above shoulder level. Hold the contraction for a second. Tip: make sure that you do not swing the weight or bend at the elbows. Your torso should remain stationary throughout the movement as well.
  3. As you inhale, slowly lower the plate back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Weighted Front Raise

4. Weighted Front Raise

89.2% Match
Delts Weighted Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs.
  2. Keeping your arms straight, exhale and lift the dumbbells in front of you until they are at shoulder level.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Front Raise

5. Dumbbell Front Raise

84.8% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs.
  2. Keeping your arms straight, exhale and lift the dumbbells in front of you until they are at shoulder level.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Raise

6. Dumbbell Raise

84.8% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
  2. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Seated Front Raise

7. Dumbbell Seated Front Raise

82.1% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
  2. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
  3. Raise the dumbbells in front of you, with your palms facing down, until they are at shoulder level.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Smith Incline Shoulder Raise

8. Smith Incline Shoulder Raise

80.7% Match
Delts Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Place an incline bench underneath the smith machine. Place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Once the weight you need is selected, lie down on the incline bench and make sure your shoulders are aligned right under the barbell.
  2. Using a shoulder width pronated (palms forward) grip, lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with a slight bend at the elbows. This will be your starting position.
  3. As you breathe out, lift the bar up until your arms are fully extended. Note: The contraction should be felt around the shoulders.
  4. After a second pause, bring the bar back down to the starting position as you breathe in.
  5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Front Two-Dumbbell Raise

9. Front Two-Dumbbell Raise

80.3% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Pick a couple of dumbbells and stand with a straight torso and the dumbbells on front of your thighs at arms length with the palms of the hand facing your thighs. This will be your starting position.
  2. While maintaining the torso stationary (no swinging), lift the dumbbells to the front with a slight bend on the elbow and the palms of the hands always facing down. Continue to go up until you arms are slightly above parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this portion of the movement and pause for a second at the top.
  3. As you inhale, lower the dumbbells back down slowly to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Head

10. Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Head

79.8% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing your thighs.
  2. Keep your arms straight with a slight bend at the elbows but keep them locked. This will be your starting position.
  3. Raise the dumbbells in a semicircular motion to arm's length overhead as you exhale.
  4. Slowly return to the starting position using the same path as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Barbell Front Raise Alternative

You may substitute the barbell front raise for several reasons: shoulder pain, rotator cuff irritation, limited equipment, or to correct unilateral imbalances. The barbell forces both arms to move together and can load the spine; switching to dumbbells or cables reduces axial load and lets you address side-to-side strength differences. Rehab or pain-sensitive clients often benefit from lower ROM and controlled tension, use cables for constant tension, bands for progressive resistance, or plates for a narrower grip. Cue the scapula: keep it depressed and retracted to avoid shrugging and excess upper-trap recruitment while maintaining glenohumeral flexion to target the anterior deltoid.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Choose a substitute based on your goal, equipment, and shoulder mechanics. For strict anterior delt isolation pick dumbbell or cable front raises; these allow neutral wrist variations and unilateral loading to correct imbalances. Use plate raises for core and scapular control, and bands when you need lighter, accommodating resistance. If you lack equipment, the pike push-up builds anterior delt strength through vertical loading. Always prioritize pain-free range: start with a partial arc and progress ROM as rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers tolerate the load. Cue: keep torso upright, avoid shoulder elevation, and lead the movement from the glenohumeral joint.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Barbell Front Raise work?

The barbell front raise primarily targets the anterior deltoid through shoulder flexion. It also recruits the lateral deltoid to a lesser degree and requires scapular stabilization from the serratus anterior and lower traps, with core engagement to control the torso.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Front Raise?

The pike push-up is the best bodyweight substitute for anterior delt emphasis because it loads the delts via vertical pressing. Hinge at the hips, keep hips high, and descend with elbows slightly forward to bias the anterior deltoids while protecting the rotator cuff.

Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Front Raise?

Yes. You can build anterior deltoid mass with variations like dumbbell and cable front raises, plate raises, and compound presses such as the overhead or incline press that load the delts differently. Progressively increase load, volume, or time under tension and ensure scapular control to drive hypertrophy.

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