Muscles worked
The band front raise trains the front of your shoulders, which lift your arms forwards. The upper part of your chest helps, and your serratus anterior and trapezius let your shoulder blades follow as your arms rise. Pressing exercises, from push-ups to overhead presses, already give the front delts a lot to do, so if you press regularly you often need only a little direct work here. That makes it best as a supplement, for example in a home session without a heavy press. Many people find the raise more comfortable on the shoulders with thumbs up rather than palms down.
Common mistakes
- Raising above shoulder height. That is where the band is stretched the most, and your trapezius tends to take over. Stop when your hands reach shoulder height or just below.
- Letting your wrists bend down. The band pulls your hands towards the floor, and it is easy to give way at the wrist. Keep it straight with your knuckles pointing forwards.
- Rounding your shoulders forwards at the top. Many people reach their shoulders towards their hands once the arms are up. Stay tall through your chest and keep your shoulders in place, so it is your arms that move.
Variations and alternatives
- The dumbbell front raise is the same lift with dumbbells, one arm at a time or both together.
- The cable front raise lets you increase the resistance in the weight stack's steps, with the same straight lift forwards.
- The band overhead press trains the front delts together with the triceps and gives more work per set with the same band.
Sets and reps
Do 12 to 20 reps over two to three sets. Because the front delts already work in your presses, a few sets at the end of the session is often enough. If the band is too strong for you, stand on it with one foot only, which makes it a little easier. Which range suits you is covered in the guide to sets and reps.
Make it harder in this order: more reps, a slow three-second lowering, then a stiffer band. That is progressive overload on a small scale.