Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise
Also known as: seated dumbbell alternate front raise
Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise trades complexity for round, durable shoulder caps, and it works well after overhead pressing.
How to do Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body and arms extended down by your sides.
- Keeping your arms straight, raise one dumbbell in front of you until it is parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat with the other arm.
- Alternate between arms for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
Common Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise Mistakes
Letting the bells drift off the working path
Keep both dumbbells travelling the same line on every rep.
Shrugging the traps up to finish the last few reps
Keep the shoulder blade down and end the set when the shrug appears.
Repeating the same load and rep scheme for months
Pick one variable, load, reps, or tempo, and push it every week.
Easier and Harder Than Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise
Swap Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise For
Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise?
Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body and arms extended down by your sides. Keeping your arms straight, raise one dumbbell in front of you until it is parallel to the ground. Use dumbbells and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise work?
The Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with dumbbells.
How many sets and reps of the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic shoulders patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise?
Try the Barbell Front Raise, Weighted Kneeling Step With Swing or the Kettlebell Two Arm Military Press. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise the same as the seated dumbbell alternate front raise?
Yes. The Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise is also commonly called the seated dumbbell alternate front raise. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "seated dumbbell alternate front raise" refer to this same movement.
