10 Best Front Incline Dumbbell Raise Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Use standing front raises, cable front raises, plate raises, landmine presses, or single-arm dumbbell front raises to replace the front incline dumbbell raise. Each preserves shoulder flexion and anterior deltoid loading; cue: keep a 10-20 degree bend in the elbow, raise to eye level, and maintain scapular retraction to limit upper-trap compensation.

Original Exercise: Front Incline Dumbbell Raise

Front Incline Dumbbell Raise
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Front Incline Dumbbell Raise
  1. Sit down on an incline bench with the incline set anywhere between 30 to 60 degrees while holding a dumbbell on each hand. Tip: You can change the angle to hit the muscle a little differently each time.
  2. Extend your arms straight in front of you and have your palms facing down with the dumbbells raised about 1 inch above your thighs. This will be your starting position.
  3. Slowly raise the dumbbells straight up until they are slightly above your shoulders, while keeping your elbows locked. Squeeze at the top for a second and make sure you breathe out during this portion of the movement. Tip: Keep your head resting down against the bench and your legs on the floor at all times.
  4. Lower the arms back to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Push
  • Movement type: Isolation

Ranked Front Incline Dumbbell Raise Alternatives

Best Match
Seated Side Lateral Raise

1. Seated Side Lateral Raise

95.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Pick a couple of dumbbells and sit at the end of a flat bench with your feet firmly on the floor. Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing in and your arms straight down at your sides at arms' length. This will be your starting position.
  2. While maintaining the torso stationary (no swinging), lift the dumbbells to your side with a slight bend on the elbow and the hands slightly tilted forward as if pouring water in a glass. Continue to go up until you arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this movement and pause for a second at the top.
  3. Lower the dumbbells back down slowly to the starting position as you inhale.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Incline Raise

2. Dumbbell Incline Raise

91.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
  2. Lean back on the bench and raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, palms facing forward.
  3. Keeping your back against the bench, exhale and raise the dumbbells above your head, fully extending your arms.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Head

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

91.2% 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.
Smith Incline Shoulder Raise

4. Smith Incline Shoulder Raise

91.2% 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 Dumbbell Raise

5. Front Dumbbell Raise

90.7% 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 left dumbbell 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 arm is slightly above parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this portion of the movement and pause for a second at the top. Inhale after the second pause.
  3. Now lower the dumbbell back down slowly to the starting position as you simultaneously lift the right dumbbell.
  4. Continue alternating in this fashion until all of the recommended amount of repetitions have been performed for each arm.
Front Two-Dumbbell Raise

6. Front Two-Dumbbell Raise

90.7% 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.
Front Plate Raise

7. Front Plate Raise

90.7% 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

8. Weighted Front Raise

90.7% 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 Seated Front Raise

9. Dumbbell Seated Front Raise

88.7% 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.
One-Arm Incline Lateral Raise

10. One-Arm Incline Lateral Raise

87.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie down sideways on an incline bench press with a dumbbell in the hand. Make sure the shoulder is pressing against the incline bench and the arm is lying across your body with the palm around your navel.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in your uppermost arm while keeping it extended in front of you parallel to the floor. This is your starting position.
  3. While keeping the dumbbell parallel to the floor at all times, perform a lateral raise. Your arm should travel straight up until it is pointing at the ceiling. Tip: Exhale as you perform this movement. Hold the dumbbell in the position and feel the contraction in the shoulders for a second.
  4. While inhaling lower the weight across your body back into the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Front Incline Dumbbell Raise Alternative

You might substitute the front incline dumbbell raise for shoulder pain, lack of an incline bench, or to vary stimulus. Pain often stems from impingement or overactive upper traps; swapping to a cable raise or plate raise lets you change line of pull and reduce compressive load on the glenohumeral joint. For rehab, a wall slide or light single-arm raise reduces shear while preserving anterior deltoid activation. If you need progressive overload, landmine presses or cable single-arm raises allow incrementally heavier loads and constant tension. Technique cue: lead with the elbow and avoid shrugging to keep activation focused on the anterior deltoid instead of the traps.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Choose a substitute based on equipment, desired muscle emphasis, and shoulder health. If you want pure anterior deltoid isolation and constant tension, use a cable front raise with a straight-arm cue and a controlled 2-3 second eccentric. If you lack cables, a plate raise or single dumbbell front raise keeps the same flexion pattern, keep a soft elbow and lift through shoulder flexion, not spinal extension. For overloaded training or progressive strength, use landmine presses to combine shoulder flexion with rotational stability and higher load capacity. If you have shoulder pain, favor wall-based variations and limit range to pain-free arc while monitoring scapular upward rotation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Front Incline Dumbbell Raise work?

The front incline dumbbell raise primarily targets the anterior deltoid through shoulder flexion. It also recruits the clavicular head of the pectoralis major for flexion assistance and relies on the serratus and trapezius for scapular control; cue: avoid shrugging so the deltoid, not the traps, does the work.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Front Incline Dumbbell Raise?

The elevated pike push-up is the most practical bodyweight option to load the delts while keeping equipment minimal. Set your feet on a box, keep hips high, lead with the forehead toward the floor, and focus on shoulder flexion and anterior deltoid tension rather than arm extension.

Can I build muscle without doing Front Incline Dumbbell Raise?

Yes. You can build anterior deltoid size and strength with other isolation moves, targeted compound presses, and progressive overload. Use controlled eccentrics (2-3 seconds), full but pain-free range of motion, and increase load or reps over time to drive hypertrophy without that specific raise.

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use the exercise substitution finder to compare ranked alternatives for your available equipment and training preference.

Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →