Plate Front Raise

Also known as: weight plate front raise

Secondary muscles
Biceps, Forearms
Body part
Shoulders
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed

Download SetGrip on the App Store

A single plate gripped at its edges links both hands, so the front delts lift together while your fingers and forearms fight to keep hold, an extra job dumbbells never ask for. Start with a 10 or 25 pound plate; the pinch grip makes plates feel heavier than the number stamped on them.

How to do the Plate Front Raise

  1. Stand tall holding a weight plate with both hands at its sides, arms in front of your thighs.
  2. Keep your arms almost straight and your torso still.
  3. Raise the plate in front of you to shoulder height.
  4. Lower it back to your thighs under control.

Tip: Lead with the elbows and think of reaching wide rather than lifting up.

Muscles worked

Primary

Delts · Shoulders

Front raises hit the front delt, lateral raises the side, and Y or rear raises the back head; whichever you pick, the burn should build across the top of the shoulder by the last few reps.

Secondary

Common mistakes

  • Swinging from the hips — a small bounce at the bottom is the sign of a weight that is too heavy; lighten it and lift from a dead stop.
  • Shrugging as you raise — the traps take over when the shoulders rise toward the ears; keep them down and lead with the elbows.
  • Raising far above shoulder height — on lateral and front raises the upper traps take over past parallel, so stop around shoulder level unless the variation is built to go overhead.
  • Locked elbows — keep a soft bend in the elbow throughout so the load stays on the shoulder rather than the joint.

Where it fits in a workout

Raises are accessory work and belong after the presses in a shoulder or push session. Superset lateral raises with a rear delt fly for a complete shoulder finisher.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without weighted

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

Track the Plate Front Raise in SetGrip

All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.

Download SetGrip on the App Store

More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.