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Barbell Front Raise

Many people consider the deltoids to be a difficult muscle to develop. With three distinct heads, it can be tough to isolate each one, leading to neglect and muscular imbalances.

The barbell front raise is an effective exercise for targeting the front deltoids. It can be a valuable addition to a well-rounded shoulder workout routine. 

This guide will give you everything you need to know to get started. You’ll gain valuable insight into the potential benefits of barbell front raises and tips to prevent injury.

How To Do

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Maintain a slight bend in your knees.
  2. Hold a barbell with both hands, placing your hands about shoulder-width apart. Use an overhand grip where both palms are facing down.
  3. Before beginning, rest the barbell against your thighs. Ensure your arms are fully extended with your elbows slightly bent to reduce joint stress.
  4. Inhale and brace your core before lifting.
  5. Lift the barbell straight up in front of you to about eye level. Your arms should be slightly above parallel to the floor at the top of the movement.
  6. Exhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the descent.
  7. Repeat as necessary.

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Tips From Expert

  • Beginners should use the barbell without any weights while they build strength in their deltoids.
  • Focus on bracing your core throughout the entire movement. Doing so will prevent rounding your upper back. This helps to target your front deltoids and reduces lower back strain.
  • During the lowering phase, do not allow the barbell to drop down. Instead, do a slow and controlled movement to keep tension in your muscles.
  • Unlike during presses and flies, your shoulders should be neutral (in line with your torso) or slightly forward (protracted).
  • Strong abdominal muscles can make all the difference during barbell front raises. Strengthen them using ab workouts at home for enhanced performance.

Optimal Sets and Reps

There is no one-size-fits-all for working out. Aim for the following sets and reps depending on your workout goals.

Training TypeSetsReps
Strength Training3–54–6
Hypertrophy3–48–12
Endurance Training3–415–20+
Power Training3–51–3
Optimal Sets & Reps of Barbell Front Raise

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The barbell front raise is an effective isolation exercise that targets your front deltoids. Isolation exercises heavily load a single muscle, making them highly effective for building muscle and strength.

There are several options for adding it to your workout routine:

  • Push Split — Push days involve several chest workouts, such as presses and flies. These are ideal additions for barbell front raises. You can simultaneously target the entire deltoid and chest muscle groups for a well-rounded workout.
  • Upper-Body Split — Combine the barbell front raise with other push and pull exercises that target different upper-body muscle groups. An example workout could include bent-over rows, bench presses, and cable chest flies.
  • Full-Body Split — If you’re short on time, full-body workouts can help you maximize the muscle-building potential of your routine. Studies show there is no difference in effectiveness between isolated and compound exercises. However, compound exercises will help you hit several muscle groups simultaneously, helping to reduce the length of your workout.

Even as part of a barbell ab workout, the barbell front raise can be added in as you wish.

The correct loading recommendations and rest between sets will also largely depend on your training focus.

In the guide below, your 1RM refers to the maximum amount of weight you can lift for one repetition. This number can be discovered with the help of a personal trainer if needed.

Strength Training Focus

  • Weight: Heavy, 80%–100% of 1RM.
  • Rest: Two to three minutes between sets.

Hypertrophy Training Focus

  • Weight: Moderate to heavy, 60%– to 80% of 1RM.
  • Rest: 60–90 seconds between sets.

Endurance Training Focus

  • Weight: Light to moderate, 40%–60% of 1RM.
  • Rest: 30–60 seconds between sets.

Power Training Focus

  • Weight: Heavy, 80%–90% to 1RM.
  • Rest: Two to three minutes between sets.

Primary Muscle Groups

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid is the muscle located on the front of the shoulder. It’s involved in many pushing exercises, such as bench presses, chest flies, shoulder presses, and barbell front raises.

During barbell front raises, the anterior deltoid is the main muscle involved in the lifting and lowering phases. Slow and controlled movements during the lowering phase help to enhance the muscle-building effect of the barbell front raise.

When performing barbell front raises, think about the muscle you’re working. In this case, think about activating your anterior deltoids. Improving your mind-muscle connection helps improve muscular hypertrophy.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Clavicular Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the top of your chest, running from your armpit to collar bone. Smaller portion of your chest muscle.

Serratus Anterior

Small, fan shaped muscle that lies deep under your chest and scapula.

Upper Trapezius

Triangular shaped muscles located between your neck and shoulder blades.

Wrist Extensors

Muscles that make up the back portion of your lower arm, between your elbow and wrist.

Serratus Anterior

The serratus anterior is a fan-shaped muscle located on the side of the torso. It extends from the ribs at the side of the chest and inserts into the shoulder blade.

Unlike other push exercises like the chest press, your shoulders should be slightly protracted (rounded inwards) in the barbell front raise. The serratus anterior is a key shoulder stabilizer muscle, helping to keep them stable as you raise the barbell.

Clavicular Head

The clavicular head is one of the three muscles making up the pectoralis major (chest) muscles. It originates from the collarbone and extends into the upper arm bone.

Its main role is assisting in lifting the arm forward (flexion) at the shoulder joint. This means that the clavicular head is involved in many pushing movements, including barbell front raises. During the barbell front raise, the clavicular head works alongside the anterior deltoids to lift the barbell to shoulder height.

The clavicular head also helps stabilize the shoulder joint during the movement. This stabilization ensures that the lift is smooth and controlled, reducing the risk of shoulder injuries.

Upper Trapezius

The upper trapezius originates from the base of the skull and extends to the collarbone and top of the scapula. It is responsible for lifting the shoulders and also assists in rotating the shoulder blades in an upward motion.

During barbell front raises, the upper trapezius works synergistically with the anterior deltoids to elevate and stabilize the shoulders. This means that they work alongside each other. This action allows for a smoother and more controlled lift.

The upper trapezius also helps control movement through the shoulder blades, preventing excessive shrugging of the shoulders. This control ensures that the anterior deltoids can be effectively targeted without excess strain on the neck.

Wrist Extensors

The wrist extensors are a muscle group made up of six separate muscles. They make up the bulk of the musculature on the forearm, extending from the elbow area through to the fingers.

During barbell front raises, the wrist extensors are responsible for maintaining a firm grip on the barbell.

But even more importantly, the wrist extensors counteract the tendency of the wrist to flex under a heavy load. They distribute the weight more evenly across the forearm and hand. This helps to reduce the risk of injury.

Equipment

Barbell

Barbell

You can use this for a range of arm exercises. Ensure the seat is at the right height. A good alternative would be the incline bench.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Barbell Military Press

Barbell Push Press

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Squat To Overhead Press

Dumbbell Front Raise

Dumbbell Arnold Press

Alternating Dumbbell Press

Pike Push-Up

Arm Circle

Dynamic Arm Swing

Bear Crawl

Weight Plate Front Raise

Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press

Who Should Do?

Office Workers

Shoulder pain affects between 18%–26% of adults at any given time. Pain in the shoulder can be caused by poor posture as a result of weak shoulder muscles. It can also be exacerbated by long periods of sitting.

Individuals suffering from shoulder pain can greatly benefit from strengthening the entire shoulder muscle group. Doing so will naturally correct poor posture.

They should focus on building strength in the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid muscles. Barbell front raises can be a part of an effective routine for building strength in the entire shoulder muscle group.

Overhead Sport Athletes

The risk of shoulder injuries is high among all overhead sport athletes. Overhead sports include baseball, tennis, handball, and volleyball. Each of these involves dynamic movement through the shoulder joint.

During overhead movements, significant strain is placed on the shoulder. This strain can be amplified during play when the shoulder is overloaded or among individuals with hypermobile shoulder joints.

Therefore, the benefit of strengthening the shoulder muscles is twofold. It can improve athletic ability and effectively reduce the risk of shoulder injury.

Bodybuilders

Among the bodybuilding community, well-developed shoulders that appear rounded and full from all angles are highly sought after. To effectively build your shoulders, you need to work all three muscle heads, including the anterior deltoids.

Regularly performing barbell front raises in addition to a barbell arm workout can aesthetically enhance the upper body.

Who Should Not Do?

Beginners

Everyone, including beginners, can benefit from strengthening the anterior deltoids through isolated exercises. However, the weight of an average barbell is 45 pounds, which is far too heavy for beginner weightlifters.

Instead, it’s recommended to start with dumbbell front raises or use a lighter barbell. Many gyms offer 20-pound barbells, which are also shorter in length. These can be a better option for beginners.

People With Elbow Or Wrist Injuries

Both the elbow and wrist play an important role in barbell front raises. They distribute the load through the arm and keep the hand in a neutral position.

Therefore, the movement involved in a barbell front raise can aggravate existing injuries in the elbow or wrist. This is due to the continuous tension and load applied during the exercise. This could potentially lead to further damage or prolong the recovery period.

Benefits Of The Barbell Front Raise

Builds Muscle 

Barbell front raises target the anterior deltoid, isolating this muscle more effectively than many movements that engage multiple muscle groups. This focused activation helps to develop and strengthen the front part of the shoulder.

While they primarily target the anterior deltoids, barbell front raises involve the core and other upper-body stabilizing muscles. This engagement helps improve overall stability and strength. It can also contribute to better performance in other exercises and daily activities.

Use the principle of progressive overload, which involves increasing weight and reps over time, to maximize muscle growth.

To keep the majority of the effort targeted to the front deltoids, avoid leaning back during the movement. Leaning back moves the load onto the lower spine, removing much of the tension from the front deltoids.

Increases Muscle Endurance 

Executing barbell front raises with slow, controlled movements extends the muscle’s time under tension. Time under tension is considered an important factor in increasing muscle strength and endurance.

Because barbell front raises target the anterior deltoids, they can be added into super sets. Supersets involve performing two exercises back-to-back with minimal to no rest. This can also help to increase the total time the muscles are under tension during a workout.

Improves Posture

Strong anterior deltoids help maintain proper shoulder alignment by stabilizing the shoulder joint. This stabilization prevents the shoulders from rolling forward, which is a common issue in poor posture​.

Up to 51% of office workers report feeling pain in their shoulders during a regular eight-hour shift. Barbell front raises strengthen the key scapula stabilizers needed to maintain an upright position comfortably and easily.

Therefore, office workers can use this exercise to relieve some of the pain caused by spending long periods seated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do barbell front raises work?

Barbell front raises are an isolation exercise meaning they primarily target a single muscle. In this case, that muscle is the front deltoid. However, the chest muscles and wrist extenders also play a supporting role.

Are barbell front raises useful?

Yes, barbell front raises are a particularly effective exercise for strengthening the front deltoids. Strengthening this muscle can improve sports performance and enhance lifting ability in other push movements.

What does the barbell front raise target?

The main muscle targeted in barbell front raises are the anterior deltoids, also known as the front deltoids. They are located on the front of the shoulder and play an important role in many push exercises.

Are barbell front plate raises effective?

Yes, barbell front plate raises are an effective exercise for improving shoulder strength and stability. They can be a better option than barbell front raises for beginners since you can start with a lower weight.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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