Dumbbell Front Arm Raise

EXECUTION

• Assume a well-balanced standing position holding a dumbbell in each hand on extended arms. The arms should be alongside the body or directly in front of the thighs.
• Use a pronated grip, ie, the back of the hands facing forward or a neutral grip with the palms facing inward toward the midline of the body.
• Inhale and hold your breath as you keep the arms straight and raise them upward in front of the body. The arms should not be hyperextended.
• For short range maximum tension use relatively heavy weights and raise the dumbbells until they are shoulder level or slightly above.
• Be sure to keep the hands shoulder width or less apart as the arms are raised.
• For full range shortening (peaking) of the anterior deltoid muscle use less weight and raise the arms completely overhead and bring the dumbbells together. In the ending position your body should be fully extended with dumbbells directly over the body.
• After reaching the uppermost position exhale and return to the initital position.
• Pause momentarily and then repeat.
• Be sure that you maintain an erect, stable body position throughout execution and do not use the body to help raise the dumbbells.

TRAINING TIPS

• For more stress on the anterior deltoid use a neutral grip, ie, so the shaft of the dumbbell runs forward and backward and raise the dumbbells completely overhead.
• When you use more weight you place greater emphasis on the upper pectoralis major but only to shoulder or slightly above shoulder level. In this variant the front deltoid and the anterior portion of the lateral deltoid get involved only in the last half of the upward movement.
• To get maximum shortening of the deltoid raise the dumbbells completely overhead. In this variant youu also get the greatest shortening and full contraction of the upper and lower trapezius, and serratus anterior even though you use less weight.
• It is also very important that you maintain breath holding during execution. This is needed to stabilize the trunk and allow you to go through the full range of motion without using the body.
• When using a pronated grip, you bring not only the front deltoid but the anterior portion of the lateral deltoid.
• Bringing the arms in closer to touch the dumbbells overhead involves the second major action of both the anterior deltoid and the upper pectoralis major— shoulder joint adduction.
• When the dumbbell front arm raise is done through the full range of motion (dumbbells completely overhead) it is very effective in improving posture. At this time the body is completely extended and is a slight arch in the lower back. Because of this it is an effective exercise to counteract a rounded back and is especially good for people who sit a lot or do few activities that require full extension of the body.
• Do not lean back or push forward with the hips to get the dumbbells in motion. Use less weight and correct technique to get maximum muscle development.

MAJOR MUSCLES INVOLVED

In the shoulder joint the major muscles are the anterior (and lateral) deltoid and the upper pectoralis major. The anterior deltoid covers the front of the shoulder while the lateral deltoid covers the side of the shoulder. The upper pectoralis major is located on the upper chest. It is part of the total pectoralis major muscle which covers the entire chest. These muscles are assisted by the corachobrachialis and the short head of the biceps.

In the shoulder girdle, the major muscles involved to move the scapulae through a full range of arm action are the pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, upper and lower portions of the trapezius and the levator scapulae. The pectoralis minor is relatively small and is located on the upper chest underneath the pectoralis major. The serratus anterior is located on the sides of the chest directly below the armpits. Its fibers intertwine slightly with the external obliques. The upper portion of the trapezius is located partly on the neck and the upper shoulders. The lower trapezius is located in the lower middle back and extends to the first lumbar vertebrae. The levator scapulae is a deep muscle of the neck lying under the upper trapezius.

MUSCLE AND JOINT ACTIONS

In the shoulder joint there is flexion in which the arms move forward and upward from a position alongside or slightly in front of the body. In the shoulder girdle the scapulae abduct, ie, move sideways away from the spine around the ribs toward the front as the arms move in front and upward. As the arms go upward, the scapulae also undergo rotation (the right scapula rotates counter clockwise and the left scapulae clockwise when viewed from the rear). The serratus anterior and the upper and lower trapezius upward rotate the scapula while the serratus anterior and the pectoralis minor move the scapula out to the sides. In addition the scapulae are elevated by the upper trapezius and levator scapulae.

SPORTS USES

For bodybuilders this exercise is crucial for developing the front of the shoulder and upper chest. When done through a full range of motion with a neutral grip it is especially effective in fully developing the anterior deltoid. Shoulder joint flexion is most important in sports that require moving the arms forward and upward. This occurs in many actions seen in gymnastics, diving, football, basketball, volleyball and the raquet sports. These movements are usually executed through a full range of motion with speed and often encounter resistance. The arm movement is especially important to football linemen when blocking or hitting an opponent. Front arm raises are also important in some underhand throwing and hitting actions as for example, in bowling, softball, baseball, raquetball and other sports to allow for greater force production and to prevent injury.

For variety you can do alternate arm raises using either the neutral or pronated grip, raising the arms to slightly above level or completely over the head. Pause after each repetition with one arm and execute at a moderate rate of speed to ensure a full range of motion.

When doing front arm raises with a barbell you must use a pronated grip. In this variant, go only to the level or slightly above level position. Going completely overhead with a barbell is more difficult and requires a high level of strength and balance. If you are thrown off-balance, it can cause injury.

If you use a low cable pulley you will be limited to the level or slightly above level position. Pulling higher in this variant becomes extremely difficult because of the constant direct line pull of the resistance unless you use light resistance. With using a dumbbell or barbell the resistance travels on an arc of a circle while with a cable it is in a straight line while your hand travels on an arc. This makes it more difficult to go high so keep the range of motion relatively short.