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Exercise guide

Front Plate Raise

How to do the Front Plate Raise with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationOtherIntermediatePush
Primary muscles

Shoulders

Secondary

,

Equipment

Other

Step by step

How to do the Front Plate Raise

  1. 1

    While standing straight, hold a barbell plate in both hands at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. Your palms should be facing each other and your arms should be extended and locked with a slight bend at the elbows and the plate should be down near your waist in front of you as far as you can go. Tip: The arms will remain in this position throughout the exercise. This will be your starting position.

  2. 2

    Slowly raise the plate as you exhale until it is a little above shoulder level. Hold the contraction for a second. Tip: make sure that you do not swing the weight or bend at the elbows. Your torso should remain stationary throughout the movement as well.

  3. 3

    As you inhale, slowly lower the plate back down to the starting position.

  4. 4

    Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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Every Front Plate Raise set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More shoulders exercises

FAQ

Front Plate Raise: common questions

What muscles does the Front Plate Raise work?

The Front Plate Raise primarily works the Shoulders.

Is the Front Plate Raise suitable for beginners?

The Front Plate Raise is an intermediate-level exercise. It's best once you've built a base of general strength and movement control, beginners can work up to it.

Is the Front Plate Raise a compound or isolation exercise?

The Front Plate Raise is an isolation exercise, it targets the shoulders through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.

How do I do the Front Plate Raise with correct form?

While standing straight, hold a barbell plate in both hands at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. Your palms should be facing each other and your arms should be extended and locked with a slight bend at the elbows and the plate should be down near your waist in front of you as far as you can go. Tip: The arms will remain in this position throughout the exercise. This will be your starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.

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