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Dumbbell Incline Front Raise animation

How to do the Dumbbell Incline Front Raise

ShouldersDeltsDumbbellIntermediate

The dumbbell incline front raise isolates the anterior deltoid through a lengthened range of motion that flat variations simply cannot match. Set up with intention and this movement will build shoulder thickness and pressing strength from the ground up.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Deltoids
Secondary
TrapeziusTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Set an incline bench to 30 to 45 degrees, lie chest-down with a dumbbell in each hand hanging straight below your shoulders, palms facing each other.
  2. Brace your core and pin your chest to the pad, then raise both dumbbells forward in a controlled arc until your arms are parallel to the floor or just above.
  3. Pause briefly at the top with tension fully loaded on the anterior delts, avoiding any shrug or trap recruitment.
  4. Lower the dumbbells slowly over two to three seconds back to the start, keeping constant tension rather than letting gravity take over.

Common mistakes

  • Using momentum by swinging the torso off the pad — keep your chest in firm contact with the bench throughout every rep to ensure the delts do the work.
  • Going too heavy and cutting the range of motion short — choose a weight that allows a full raise to parallel with control, as partial reps here shortchange anterior delt development.
  • Letting the wrists collapse or rotate excessively — maintain a neutral or slightly pronated grip throughout to keep tension directed precisely at the front delt.

Pro tip — At the top of each rep, think about leading with your pinkies slightly upward rather than letting the thumbs rise first — this subtle internal rotation maximizes anterior deltoid fiber recruitment and sharpens the contraction noticeably.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

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