The single-arm cable front raise is a unilateral shoulder isolation exercise performed on a cable machine. It involves raising one arm forward in a controlled arc, directly targeting the anterior (front) head of the deltoid muscle.
Because only one arm works at a time, your core musculature, particularly your obliques and deep spinal stabilizers, engage more actively to resist lateral torso rotation.
Unlike dumbbells, the cable pulley maintains constant mechanical tension on the anterior deltoid throughout the entire range of motion from the bottom to the top of the lift.
This continuous time under tension can enhance muscular hypertrophy and improve the mind-muscle connection to the front delt.
You can also adjust your stance, cable height, and handle attachment to shift the angle of pull and stimulus on the shoulder muscles.
Muscles Worked
The deltoid muscle of the shoulder consists of three separate sections or heads. The anterior deltoid (In front), the Lateral deltoid (at the side) and the Posterior deltoid (behind)
- The primary muscle worked during the single arm front cable raise is the Anterior deltoid
- Secondary muscles worked: Upper pectoralis, Trapezius, Serratus Anterior and Lateral Deltoid.
How To Do Single-Arm Cable Front Raise
- Set the cable pulley to the lowest position and attach a single D-handle.
- Stand directly in front of the cable machine, approximately one arm’s length away, with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grasp the handle with an overhand grip (palm facing downward) using your working hand.
- Stand tall, chest up, shoulders back, slight bend in the knees, core braced. Your non-working arm can rest at your side or on your hip.
- With a slight, fixed bend in your elbow, raise the handle in a smooth arc directly in front of you.
- Continue raising until your arm reaches shoulder height (approximately 90° of shoulder flexion). Do not raise above shoulder height routinely, as this increases impingement risk.
- Pause for 1–2 seconds at the top and actively contract your anterior deltoid.
- Lower the handle slowly and under control back to the starting position, resist the cable’s pull on the way down.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching arms.
Pro-Tips
- This is an isolation exercise, so the focus should be on form and muscle contraction, not weight.
- Do not allow the handle to touch your body, and do not allow your body to move (or swing) throughout the movement.
- Keep your back straight and your head up. Keep your body still. Only your arm should move.
- Avoid lifting the weight too high, as this can strain your shoulder joint.
- The front raise is a good exercise to superset with a shoulder pressing exercise.
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements
- Exhale as you raise the handle; inhale as you lower it back down.
- It is usually performed for moderate to high reps, at least 8–12 reps per set, and do 3–4 sets as part of an upper-body or shoulder-focused workout.
- Superset the one-arm cable front raise with other upper body exercises, such as push-ups or bench press.
- Experiment with different grip variations (overhand, underhand, neutral).
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.