One Arm Dumbbell Front Raise
Learn how to perform One Arm Dumbbell Front Raise, a Shoulders exercise, with setup, breathing and common mistakes.
One Arm Dumbbell Front Raise · Preview
Setup
Stand tall with one dumbbell in one hand in front of your thigh. Rest your other hand lightly on your waist or side, and brace your abs and glutes so your torso does not shift to one side.
Start phase
With a slight bend in your elbow, slowly raise the dumbbell forward to shoulder height. Since only one arm moves, it is easy to lean away; keep your torso still and think of the front of your shoulder lifting the weight.
End phase
Pause briefly at shoulder height, then slowly lower the dumbbell in front of your thigh. Control the weight instead of letting it drop with momentum so the front delt stays under tension.
Target muscles
This movement makes it easy to clearly feel one front delt at a time. If it feels like your arm is doing all the work, lower the weight and lift only with the front of your shoulder.
Common mistakes
Leaning away or arching back to use momentum reduces the front-delt tension. Working one side at a time can twist your pelvis, so keep your torso in the same position every rep.
Breathing
Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. Keep breathing while working one arm at a time to reduce torso movement.
Coach tip
Training one side at a time makes left-to-right differences easier to spot, so match the weight and reps to your weaker side. Use a weight you can pause for 1 second at the top and lower over 2 seconds.
