How to Do Front Cable Raise
Start and end of one clean rep of Front Cable Raise.
Quick facts
| Primary muscle | Shoulders |
|---|---|
| Secondary muscles | — |
| Equipment | Cable |
| Category | Strength |
How to perform Front Cable Raise
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Now as you inhale lower the arm back down slowly to the starting position.
- Once all of the recommended amount of repetitions have been performed for this arm, switch arms and perform the exercise with the right one.
Muscles worked
- Shoulders (primary): raises and rotates the arms and drives everything overhead.
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–5 | Heavy (~85%+) | 2–3 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 × 8–12 | Moderate (~65–75%) | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 15–20 | Lighter (~50–60%) | 30–45 s |
Pick the row that matches your goal. If you're newer, anchor in the hypertrophy range while you groove the form.
Form tips
- Keep the ribs down and the glutes tight so the lower back doesn't arch to 'help' the weight up.
- Keep tension on the cable through the whole range — pause before the stack touches down instead of letting it crash.
- Treat every rep the same — a repeatable setup and bar path is what lets you add weight safely over time.
- Stop a rep or two short of failure on most sets to keep form clean and recover faster.
Common mistakes
- Pressing with the lower back arched instead of a braced, stacked torso.
- Letting the stack yank the working muscle back at the end of each rep.
- Chasing weight jumps before the current load feels solid on every rep.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Front Cable Raise work?
Front Cable Raise is a focused movement that primarily works the shoulders.
What equipment do I need for Front Cable Raise?
Front Cable Raise needs a cable station with the right handle attachment.
How many sets and reps should I do for Front Cable Raise?
It depends on your goal: about 3–5 sets of 3–5 heavy reps for strength, 3–4 sets of 8–12 for muscle growth, or 2–3 sets of 15–20 for endurance. Pick the row that matches your goal. If you're newer, anchor in the hypertrophy range while you groove the form.
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