Start free

Front Cable Raise

A beginner strength exercise for the shoulders, done with a cable.

Front Cable Raise: starting positionFront Cable Raise: finishing position
Main muscles
Shoulders
Equipment
Cable
Level
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Movement
Push

How to do the Front Cable Raise

  1. Select the weight on a low pulley machine and grasp the single hand cable attachment that is attached to the low pulley with your left hand.
  2. Face away from the pulley and put your arm straight down with the hand cable attachment in front of your thighs at arms' length with the palms of the hand facing your thighs. This will be your starting position.
  3. While maintaining the torso stationary (no swinging), lift the left arm to the front with a slight bend on the elbow and the palms of the hand always faces down. Continue to go up until you arm is slightly above parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this portion of the movement and pause for a second at the top.
  4. Now as you inhale lower the arm back down slowly to the starting position.
  5. Once all of the recommended amount of repetitions have been performed for this arm, switch arms and perform the exercise with the right one.

Sets and reps

Muscle3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds
Pump or finisher2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45–60 seconds

Log every set in MyoStats and it works out your estimated one-rep max and suggests the next weight or rep target, so you keep progressing without guessing.

Alternatives to the Front Cable Raise

Questions

What muscles does the Front Cable Raise work?

Mainly the shoulders.

Is the Front Cable Raise good for beginners?

Yes. It's rated a beginner exercise: start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

What can I do instead of the Front Cable Raise?

Good alternatives that train the shoulders: Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral, Cable Rear Delt Fly, Cable Seated Lateral Raise or External Rotation with Cable.

How many sets and reps of the Front Cable Raise should I do?

Muscle: 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds. Pump or finisher: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45–60 seconds.

Exercise steps and photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).