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Lying Front Raise Progressions

Muscles worked

  • External Rotators

Form Cues

  • Lie face down on a flat bench or the floor with your arms extended in front of you

  • Keep your legs together and glutes engaged to protect the lower back

  • Retract and depress your shoulder blades before initiating the lift

  • Raise your arms in front of you with thumbs pointing up to promote external rotation

  • Lift only until your arms are in line with or slightly above your torso — do not overextend

  • Lower with control over 2 seconds — don't just drop the arms

  • Avoid hyperextending the lower back — the movement should come from the shoulders only

Progressions

  1. 01

    Lying Front Raise Bend Arm

    • Lie face down with your legs together and glutes engaged

    • Start with your arms beside your head, elbows bent at 90 degrees

    • Retract and depress your shoulder blades before lifting

    • Drive your elbows back and up by squeezing the shoulder blades together — the motion should form a "W" shape at the top

    • Hold the peak contraction briefly before lowering

    • Lower under control back to the starting position

    • Don't let the elbows drop toward the hips at any point

    • Avoid hyperextending the lower back — keep the movement in the shoulders

  2. 02

    Lying Front Raise

    • Lie face down with your legs together and glutes engaged

    • Arms are straight, extended in front of you with thumbs up or palms facing each other

    • Retract and depress your shoulder blades before lifting

    • Lift your arms by squeezing the upper back and rear delts

    • Only lift to torso height — avoid overextending above the body line

    • Lower slowly over 2 seconds with full control

    • Keep your neck neutral and look at the floor throughout the movement

  3. 03

    Weight Lying Front Raise

    • Same setup as the straight-arm lying front raise, but holding light dumbbells or weight plates

    • Start with very light weights (1-2.5 kg) and increase gradually as form allows

    • Lie face down with legs together and glutes engaged

    • Lift your arms with thumbs pointing up to promote external rotation

    • Focus on slow, controlled lifting and lowering — no swinging or momentum

    • Only lift to torso height, hold briefly at the top, then lower over 2 seconds

    • If you cannot maintain proper form, reduce the weight immediately

Common mistakes

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