The Dumbbell Incline Front Raise is a beginner-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the shoulders. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesShoulders
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Dumbbell Incline Front Raise
Set a bench to about a 45 degree incline and lie face-down on it with a dumbbell in each hand.
Let the arms hang straight toward the floor, palms facing each other, with a slight bend in the elbows.
Brace the core, plant the toes on the floor, and pull the shoulder blades back and down.
Raise both dumbbells out in front of you in a controlled arc until the arms reach about shoulder height.
Pause briefly at the top with the front delts engaged and the wrists in line with the forearms.
Lower the dumbbells under control over 2 to 3 seconds back to the hanging start position.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Isolates the front shoulders through a fuller range than standing raises.
Removes momentum and torso swing through the chest-supported position.
Builds visible front-delt size for an aesthetic shoulder line.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Lifting the dumbbells too high and letting the traps take over the lift.
Bending and straightening the elbows mid-rep, which sneaks the biceps into the work.
Rushing the lower portion and dropping the dumbbells back to the start, missing most of the muscle tension.
Going too heavy, which forces swinging and removes the isolation the bench is designed to enforce.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Incline Front Raise, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
