Deltoids are the major and core muscle group of our shoulders and we cannot ignore them. For daily routine tasks, we have to get support for these muscles and multiple workouts offer this functionality. But most of the time, people don’t have time to go to gyms just because of their busy routines. In this informative blog, we will cover one of the fantastic and suitable shoulder workouts commonly known as Dumbbell Front Raise. Let’s find some benefits, proper form, and alternatives to front raises without waiting a minute!
Basic Information
Dumbbell Front Raise is a great choice for activating and developing deltoids. It will help shape the upper body and guarantee wider shoulders. It is a simple movement where your objective is to lift the weight up parallel to the shoulders. But you must have to engage your chest and don’t flare your elbows backward to distract the muscle tension. With a pair of dumbbells, this exercise can be performed anytime and anywhere making it a versatile workout. This isolated exercise only targets your deltoids and prepares you for heavy workouts like Arnold Press or Z Press.
Benefits of Front Raises
Front Raise is a very significant exercise and works best for maintaining your overall fitness. There are different benefits of this specific workout and some of them are mentioned below.
Isolated Exercise: Front Raise only targets specific muscle groups such as deltoids which makes it an isolated workout. However, it also focuses on strengthening the chest merely and shapes the upper body.
Stability and Mobility: By performing this exercise, you will increase stability in the shoulders. Your shoulders will become stronger and stable for performing activities that may include weight lifting.
Gentle for Joints: Front Raise is a decent movement and doesn’t put tension on the joints. This particular exercise will train the deltoids without stressing the joints.
Cost-Effective: Hence, you only need a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. No additional subscription and gym cost is required to carry this move making it convenient for all.
Painless Activity: Front Raise movement does not cause pain in the muscles or backache. Since a proper standing position is essential to gain maximum benefit.
Unilateral/Bilateral: if you want to train one shoulder then you can change the practice to unilateral such as with one dumbbell. On the other hand, you can perform it bilaterally to target both shoulders equally.
How to Perform
Here are some common steps that you need to follow while carrying the movement.
- Hold both the dumbbells in each hand with a pronated grip and keep them parallel to the thighs.
- Now without making any bend in the body, lift the weight up to the level of the shoulders. Make sure to make an eye contact with the dumbbell.
- At the peak position, you have to exhale and wait for three seconds approximately.
- Lower down the dumbbells to the thighs and repeat the movement for the desired number of times.
It is recommended to start with a suitable weight and don’t be so rapid with the movement. Just do it slowly and feel the tension in the core and deltoids.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While doing this exercise, people make mistakes that will not bring fruitful results. So you must avoid these mistakes and focus on the proper movement.
Swinging Too Much: You have to lift the dumbbells but it does not mean that you have to swing over your head. Doing so will cause muscle strains and pain which will not develop strength.
Don’t Lock Elbow: It is recommended that you make a bend in the elbows. Doing so will keep the muscles focused and don’t let the biceps be involved at any moment.
Alternatives to Front Raises
Following are the best and most feasible alternatives to front raises that you can try. Involve the below-mentioned workouts in your routine and make your shoulder day challenging.
1. Face Pulls
Face Pull is one of the best shoulder training exercises that you can carry through a cable machine. This exercise requires you to attach a rope to the machine and asks you to pull it toward your face. With this movement, you will feel contractions in the shoulders and it will build proper blades to the upper shoulders. Fitness experts recommend this one just because of its effectiveness and simple movement.
Moreover, this particular exercise has multiple advantages for overall fitness and keeps us active for daily activities by strengthening the core. Face pulls will make muscles functional and let your joints bear pressure while pulling the rope.
2. Dumbbell Side Raise
Dumbbell Side Raise can be considered one of the finest alternatives to dumbbell front raises due to its similar movement. Instead of lifting the dumbbells from the front, you are asked to bring the dumbbells up from respective sides. As the angle changes, the efficiency of the workout regarding muscle development will also be affected.
Everything including posturing, body alignment, foot positioning, and lifting technique remains the same as you practiced in Front Raises. However, the direction will get changed which will put pressure on the shoulders differently.
3. Upright Barbell Row
Upright Barbell Row is a shoulder workout where you need to lift the barbell from the thighs towards the chest. keep the barbell closer to the body to gain proper focus for the shoulders. Just load the equipment with bearable weight and stand with a straight back. Hold the barbell with a neutral grip and bring it up while maintaining the position.
Pause at the peak position and then lower the barbell to the starting position. This exercise will shape your upper body along with strengthening of traps, the most usable group of shoulders. While performing the moves, you have to fix your body and don’t make movements. Otherwise, the focus of the workout will not be concentrated.
4. Seated Dumbbell Press
The seated Dumbbell Press is another best and most significant exercise for shoulder training. As the name suggests you have to perform this while sitting on the bench or chair with dumbbells. all you need is to hold dumbbells in each hand with a neutral grip and sit down in a controlled motion. keep the dumbbells parallel to the shoulders so that the dumbbells are facing forward.
Now, push the dumbbells up by extending the arms and making contractions in the deltoids to target them. Don’t move your head or neck to avoid pain in the neck and maintain a constant position through the movement.
5. Dumbbell Shrugs
Dumbbell Shrugs are also a simple movement that will train the shoulder’s main muscles such as Traps. Not only it target the shoulders but also the back muscles merely and the core a bit. So thinking it a full-body exercise is a good choice for those looking to develop multiple muscles in one turn. While performing the move, you have to concentrate on traps and relax the rest of the body. hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip and just shrug them by contracting the upper body.
Bottom Lines
Front Raises are the best and superlative move for shoulder strengthening. But relying on one exercise may not be a good idea so why not should we go with other exercises like this? If you have dumbbells at home, you can perform Reverse Flyes, Dumbbell Side Raises, and Dumbbell Shrugs. Intensity and weightage volume depend on the fitness approaches and you must try these exercises with different intensities for better results. Stay tuned for more valuable content.
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