The One-Arm dumbbell front raise is one of the best shoulder exercises, primarily targeting the anterior deltoids (front of the shoulders). Since you’re lifting one arm at a time, this exercise also challenges your core muscles.
This exercise works one arm at a time and helps to fix the imbalance between the left and right shoulder muscles.
If you want to lift one dumbbell with both arms at once, try doing a one-dumbbell front raise.
One Arm Dumbbell Front Raise Muscles Worked
- The one-arm dumbbell front raise primarily targets the anterior deltoid.
- It also engages other muscles in your upper body, including Secondary and stabilization muscles such as the upper pectoralis, trapezius, Lateral Deltoid, Serratus Anterior.
How to do a Single-arm Dumbbell Front Raise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core tight to stay stable.
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand with a pronated grip (palms facing your body) and let it hang in front of your thigh.
- Keep your non-working arm relaxed at your side or hold on to something stable for balance if needed.
- Slowly raise the dumbbell straight up in front of you until it’s parallel to the floor. Don’t raise the dumbbell above shoulder height.
- Pause briefly when your arm is parallel to the floor.
- Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- After completing the desired number of repetitions on one arm, switch to the other arm and repeat the exercise.
One-Dumbbell Front Raise
Unlike traditional front raises, where you hold a dumbbell in each hand, this variation requires you to hold only one dumbbell with both hands.
It allows you to lift heavier loads and provides a more balanced load distribution than using two dumbbells simultaneously.
How To Do It
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
- Inhale and slowly raise the dumbbells together until they reach shoulder height.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement and hold for a second (peak contraction).
- Exhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise according to your training program, maintaining proper form and pace.
Tips and Form
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders or leaning backward as you lift the dumbbell. Maintain proper posture with your shoulders down and back.
- Maintain a slight bend in your elbow throughout the exercise to reduce strain on the joint.
- Exhale as you lift the dumbbell and inhale as you lower it back down.
- Don’t shrug your shoulders as you lift the weight.
Manish brings over 10 years of hands-on experience in weight lifting and fat loss to fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.
Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.