Front Raise vs Lateral Raise vs Y Raise: Which Delt Each One Trains (+ Chart)

Raises are accessories. They work best after a press and a row, covered in our guides to shoulder press variations and types of rows.

Dumbbell front raise

Holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, you raise them straight ahead to shoulder height. It isolates the front delts. If you already bench or overhead press, they're well trained, and this one is optional.

• Keep your torso still and a slight bend in the elbows.
• Push the dumbbells toward the wall in front, stopping at shoulder height.
• Switch to a neutral grip if the shoulder pinches.

Common mistake: rocking back to swing the weight up. Full setup: dumbbell front raise.

Cable front raise

Facing away from a low pulley with the cable between your legs, you raise a bar to shoulder height. Unlike dumbbells, the cable pulls back from the first inch, so the bottom of the rep does work too.

• Step forward to take up the slack before the first rep.
• Keep your shoulders down and back so the traps stay quiet.
• Stop at shoulder height.

Common mistake: leaning back as the set gets hard. Full setup: cable front raise.

Ring front raise

Facing away from the anchor, you lean into the rings in a plank and raise your straight arms overhead. Your bodyweight is the load, and your core has to stop your back from arching, so it's as much an anti-extension core drill as a shoulder raise.

• Ribs down, glutes tight, straight line from head to heels.
• Move only at the shoulders; keep the elbows straight.
• Stand more upright to make it easier.

Common mistake: letting the lower back sag as the arms go overhead. Full setup: ring front raise.

Dumbbell lateral raise

Dumbbells at your sides, you raise them out to shoulder height. The side delts give the shoulders their width, and pressing barely trains them, so this is the raise most worth doing. Light weights with strict reps beat heavy swinging.

• Lean forward slightly and keep a fixed bend in the elbows.
• Push the weights out toward the side walls, leading with the elbows.
• Stop at shoulder height and keep the traps relaxed.

Common mistake: shrugging the weight up with the traps. If your shoulders rise toward your ears, go lighter. Full setup: dumbbell lateral raise.

Cable lateral raise

Standing side-on to a low pulley, you raise the handle across and out with the far arm. The cable loads the bottom of the rep, where the side delt is stretched and a dumbbell weighs almost nothing. Leaning away from the machine increases that stretch.

• Hold the machine with your near hand and lean slightly away.
• Keep the arm a little in front of your body, not directly to the side.
• Keep the wrist firm and stop at shoulder height.

Common mistake: pulling with the arm instead of lifting with the shoulder. Full setup: cable lateral raise.

Super-ROM lateral raise

A lateral raise that keeps going past shoulder height until the dumbbells meet overhead. The extra range brings in the upper traps and asks the shoulder blades to rotate upward. Use a lighter weight than for a standard lateral raise.

• Start with the dumbbells slightly in front of your hips.
• Keep the elbows slightly bent and fixed through the whole arc.
• Let the shoulder blades rotate naturally as the arms pass shoulder height.

Common mistake: leaning back to get the weight overhead. Full setup: dumbbell super-ROM lateral raise.

Incline dumbbell Y raise

Lying face down on an incline bench, you raise light dumbbells up and out into a Y, thumbs up. The bench removes all momentum, and the movement trains the lower traps, which help control the shoulder blades during pressing. Expect to use very light weights.

• Keep your chest on the bench and your thumbs pointing up.
• Reach long toward the corners of the room, not just up.
• Start the lift by drawing the shoulder blades down.

Common mistake: going too heavy and shrugging. Full setup: dumbbell incline Y raise.

Cable Y raise

Standing between two low pulleys with the cables crossed, you raise both handles up and out into a Y. The cables keep tension on the side and rear delts the whole way, which makes it a strong finisher.

• Cross the cables: left hand takes the right handle, right hand the left.
• Lean slightly forward from the hips and keep a fixed elbow bend.
• Keep the shoulders down throughout.

Common mistake: leaning back to swing the handles up. Full setup: cable Y raise.

Ring Y raise

Facing the anchor and leaning back on straight arms, you pull yourself up by spreading the rings into a Y. It's a hard rear-delt and lower-trap exercise using only bodyweight, which makes it ideal at home. Walking your feet back makes it easier.

• Keep a straight line from head to heels.
• Pull the rings apart as you raise them.
• Keep your wrists neutral; don't curl the rings in.

Common mistake: swinging the hips to start the rep. Full setup: ring Y raise.

• Do raises after your presses and rows, for 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 20 reps.
• Prioritise lateral raises for width and Y raises for shoulder health. Front raises are optional if you press.
• Progress with reps and slower lowering before adding weight; small jumps matter on raises.
• Rest briefly, 45 to 90 seconds. Raises recover quickly.

Crucible Fit fits accessories like these around the main work. Every Crucible comes in bodyweight, dumbbell and kettlebell versions, and it raises your rep targets as you improve. Your first Crucible is on us: get Crucible Fit on the App Store.