Two raises, two directions
Both exercises lift a light weight on an almost straight arm, from your thigh to about shoulder height, and both suit beginners. What differs is the direction. In a front raise the arm travels straight forward, which is shoulder flexion and the front deltoid's job. In a lateral raise it travels out to the side, which is abduction and the side deltoid's job. Change the direction and you change which head of the shoulder ends the set.
So this is a choice between two muscles rather than two techniques. Each exercise's own page covers set-up, mistakes and variations; this one is about which your week needs, and how much of it. The shoulder exercise guide shows both beside the presses and the rear-shoulder work.
The two raises compared
| What differs | Front raise | Lateral raise |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of the arm | Straight forward, in front of the body | Out to the side, slightly ahead of the body |
| Main muscle | Front deltoid | Side deltoid |
| Muscles that help | Upper chest; the traps and serratus near the top | Upper traps near the top, more if you lift too high |
| Already trained by presses? | Heavily, in every bench, incline and overhead press | Partly, mostly in overhead presses |
| What changes in the mirror | The front of the shoulder, seen from the side | Shoulder width, seen from the front |
| Typical load | Often a little heavier | Light; often your lightest dumbbells |
| Cable set-up | Low pulley behind you, cable between the feet | Low pulley at your side, cable across the body |
| Common fault | Leaning back to heave the weight up | Shrugging and swinging |
| Priority for most people | Optional | A weekly staple |
What a study of bodybuilders measured
A 2020 study of ten competitive bodybuilders recorded muscle activity in a front raise and four lateral raise variations: with the upper arm turned out, neutral, turned in, and with the elbows bent. The front raise produced the highest activity in the front deltoid and in the pectoralis major of the five. The side deltoid was most active in the lateral raise done with a neutral arm, and far less active in the front raise. Turning the upper arm inward during a lateral raise brought more rear-deltoid and upper-trap activity.
It was a short laboratory test of muscle activity in a small group, not a measure of growth over months, so it cannot say which raise builds more muscle. It does show that the two are not interchangeable: the direction of the arm decides which head does the work, and neither raise stands in for the other.
Why your presses change the answer
The front deltoid is a prime mover in almost every press. The bench press, the incline bench press, dips and the overhead press all raise the arm forward under heavy load, so a week with two chest sessions and an overhead press has already given the front of the shoulder many hard sets before any raise. The side deltoid helps in overhead pressing but much less in bench pressing, and little else in a typical programme lifts the arm out to the side. That gap is why most coaches put lateral raises in almost every plan and front raises in few.
Count before you add. With two or more pressing sessions a week, the front raise is usually optional, and the sets do more as lateral raises or rear-shoulder work such as the rear delt fly. With little or no pressing, the front deltoid gets little work, and a few sets of front raises fill the gap.
Which raise your week needs
The front raise is worth adding if…
Your programme is light on pressing, for example legs-first training with one short upper-body day; the front of your shoulder clearly lags the side and rear, which is mostly a physique concern; or you want front-shoulder work on a day without another heavy press, as two or three light sets at the end.
The lateral raise comes first if…
You want shoulders that look broader from the front, since that width comes from the side deltoid; you already bench, incline press or overhead press at least twice a week; time is short and only one raise fits; or you train the shoulders two or three times a week, which suits a small head that recovers quickly.
If you are torn
Do the lateral raise every shoulder session and try front raises for a block of four to six weeks at the end of one session. If your presses and the mirror show no difference, give those sets back to the side and rear heads.
The raise in between, and the drift to watch
Between the two directions sits a raise in the plane of the shoulder blade, with the arms travelling about a third of the way forward from the side and the thumbs up. It works the side and front deltoids together, and many lifters find it a natural path for the arm; the lateral raise page's cue to raise out and slightly forward is a small step towards it. Use it when you want one raise that reaches both heads, and expect the side deltoid to get a little less than in a true lateral raise.
The other point is drift. As the dumbbells start to feel heavy, a lateral raise tends to swing forward, and by the end of a hard set it can turn into a front raise that the stronger front deltoid finishes. If your arms end up in front of you rather than beside you, the weight is too heavy for the side head: drop a pair rather than letting the direction change.
Fitting them into a week
| Your week | Lateral raise | Front raise |
|---|---|---|
| Two or more pressing sessions | 2–3 sessions, 2–4 sets each | None, or 1–2 sets at the end of one session |
| One pressing session | 2 sessions, 3 sets each | 1 session, 2–3 sets after the press |
| Little or no pressing | 2 sessions, 3 sets each | 1–2 sessions, 2–3 sets each |
Use 10 to 20 reps for both, stop one or two reps short of failure and rest about a minute. When both are in one session, do the one that matters more to you first. The hypertrophy volume calculator counts direct and indirect sets.
Progress both with reps and a slower lowering before load, because the jump between light dumbbell pairs is large on any raise. The cable versions move in smaller steps, and the cable shoulder exercises page sets up both at the low pulley. If either raise pinches at the top or front of the shoulder, end the set; if it keeps happening, see a doctor or physiotherapist before you carry on.
Both raises at RPM
RPM's floor photos show a dumbbell rack, multi-station cable towers and squat racks with colour bumper plates on the training floor in Al Manhal, which covers the dumbbell and cable versions of both raises and the plate front raise. The photos do not show a lateral raise machine, so ask on your free tour what is on the floor. A personal training session can check your arm path, so that a lateral raise stays a lateral raise.
Sources
Questions, answered.
Which builds bigger shoulders, front raises or lateral raises?
For width, the lateral raise, because the side deltoid is what makes the shoulders look broader from the front. The front raise adds to the front of the shoulder, which presses already build, so most people see more change from lateral raises.
Can I do front and lateral raises in the same session?
Yes. Put the lateral raise first if broader shoulders are the aim, or alternate sets of the two with a short rest. Keep each one strict, so neither drifts into the other.
Why can I lift more on front raises?
In a front raise the front deltoid and the upper chest share the lift, and the front deltoid is already strong from pressing. In a lateral raise the side deltoid works almost alone. A pair heavier on front raises is normal.
Are front raises a waste of time?
Not a waste, but often unnecessary. If you press two or more times a week, the front deltoid is already well trained and the time does more as lateral raises or rear-shoulder work. With little pressing in your week, they earn their place.
Can I do these raises with a weight plate?
The front raise, yes: hold the plate with both hands on the sides of the rim. A lateral raise needs a weight in each hand moving apart, so a plate suits it poorly; use dumbbells or a cable.