You want those strong, round shoulders that make you look powerful and athletic. Well, the single-arm cable front raise can seriously help you get there.
We all have one side that’s a little stronger, right?
Instead of working both shoulders at once, you focus all the attention on one arm at a time. This exercise unilaterally targets the front of your shoulders.
It’s also easier to focus on the working muscles and feel that they work when you’re doing one arm at a time.
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Single-Arm Cable Front Raise Muscles Worked
The deltoid muscle of the shoulder consists of three separate sections or heads. The anterior deltoid (In front), Lateral deltoid (at the side) and Posterior deltoid (behind)
- The primary muscle worked during the single arm front cable raise is: Anterior deltoid
- Secondary muscles worked: Upper pectoralis, Trapezius, Serratus Anterior and Lateral Deltoid.
How To Do Single Arm Cable Front Raise
- Adjust the cable pulley to the lowest position on the machine.
- Attach a single-handle grip to the cable machine.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grasp the handle with an overhand grip (palm facing down).
- Lift the handle in front of you, following a smooth, controlled arc.
- Continue raising the handle until it’s about level with your shoulder.
- At the top of the movement, pause briefly and really squeeze your front deltoid.
- Gradually lower the handle back to the starting position, resisting the weight’s pull the whole way down.
Pro-Tips
- Exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower.
- Keep your core engaged and your torso upright. Don’t hunch.
- Start light! You want to focus on controlled form, not swinging heavy weights around.
- Avoid lifting the weight too high, as this can strain your shoulder joint.
- Maintain a slight bend in your elbow.
- Keep your movements smooth and controlled.
- Create a mind-muscle connection; visualize the muscle contracting as you lift and feel it lengthen as you lower the weight.
- Keep strict control to avoid cheating yourself and isolating the front deltoid as much as possible.
- Experiment with different grip variations (overhand, underhand, neutral).
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One Arm Cable Front Raise Alternatives
An alternative to the one-arm cable front raise include:
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Resistance Band Front Raise
- Barbell Front Raise
- Plate Front Raise
- Smith Machine Shoulder Press
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Landmine press
- Arnold Press
- Push Press
Conclusion
The single-arm cable front raise is a simple exercise to help you build strong and sculpted shoulders.
Now it’s time to give this exercise a try! Start with a lightweight and focus on perfecting your form.
I’d love to hear how it goes! Please let me know in the comments.
I’m always looking to improve my fitness tips, so tell me what other exercises you’d like me to break down in future posts.
Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss 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.