10 Best Barbell Front Raise & Pullover Alternatives for Limited Gear

The Barbell Front Raise And Pullover is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Neck Press and the Forward Drag With Press.

Barbell Front Raise And PulloverWatch the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover

The steps for the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with deltoids, triceps · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
  2. Keep your arms straight and raise the barbell in front of you until it reaches shoulder height.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  4. Next, lower the barbell behind your head, keeping your arms straight.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then raise the barbell back up to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Barbell Front Raise And Pullover Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Front RaisePlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Front Raise

    79% match

    Delts · Beginner · Isolation

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the delts rather than the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: raise, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
    • Primary muscle: delts, not pectorals
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
  3. Neck Press

    3. Neck Press

    72% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the pectorals with more balance to manage.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your neck with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
    2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your neck.
    3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up).
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
  4. Dumbbell Standing Front Raise Above HeadPlay demonstration

    4. Dumbbell Standing Front Raise Above Head

    71% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Isolation

    A looser match: it works the delts rather than the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: raise, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
    • Primary muscle: delts, not pectorals
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover

Barbell Front Raise And Pullover FAQ

What muscles does Barbell Front Raise And Pullover work?

The combined pattern primarily targets the pectoralis major (both sternal and clavicular regions) while also recruiting the anterior deltoid and latissimus dorsi, especially on the pullover portion. To bias the chest more than the lats, shorten the arc and lead with the elbows, keeping scapular retraction through the movement.

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