Are you tired of doing the same mundane exercises day in and day out? Are you looking for a new way to spice up your fitness routine? Look no further than resistance band forward raises. Many individuals struggle to see results in their upper body strength training, often because they don’t use proper form or enough resistance. With the help of resistance bands, you can add variety and challenge to your workout while targeting key muscles in your shoulders and arms. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of resistance band forward raises and provide a step-by-step guide on how to perform this exercise effectively. Get ready to take your upper body game to the next level.
Resistance Band Forward Raises Summary
- Primary Muscles: Deltoid – Lateral
- Secondary Muscles: Deltoid – Anterior, Serratus Anterior, Supraspinatus, Trapezius – Lower, and Trapezius – Middle
- Equipment: Resistance Band
- Mechanics Type: Isolation
- Force: Push
- Utility: Auxiliary

Resistance Band Forward Raises Instructions
- To setup the forward raises hold, the resistance band handles in your hands and lay the band on the ground. Next step on the band with both feet a little narrower than shoulder-width.
- Maintain your body erect with your hands at your side and ensure the bands are tight.
- Now, execute the raises by pulling with your shoulders and maintaining your arms straight.
- Flex your shoulder at the top once your arms are parallel with the ground.
- End the rep by returning your hands back to the starting position.
- Repeat your front raises for 8-12 reps.
Video Tutorial
Resistance Band Forward Raises Muscles
Target (Agonist)
Synergists
Dynamic Stabilizers
- None
Stabilizers
- Levator Scapulae
- Trapezius – Upper
- Wrist Extensors
Antagonist Stabilizers
- None

Benefits of Resistance Band Forward Raises
Resistance band forward raises are a great exercise for targeting the deltoid – lateral muscle. This exercise helps to strengthen and tone the shoulder area, which can improve posture and stability. Additionally, the resistance band provides more of a challenge than bodyweight exercises, making it an ideal exercise for those looking to increase strength. Resistance band forward raises also allow for a greater range of motion than using weights, allowing for a more comprehensive shoulder workout. Finally, this exercise is relatively low impact, meaning it can be safely performed by those who have shoulder injuries or are just starting out with strength training.
Tips for Performing Resistance Band Forward Raises
If you want to attain the optimum improvement, implement these straightforward tips. Furthermore, if you would like to avoid injuries, stick with these tips.
- Use Multiple Bands To Help to Increase The Workout. When you start to easily do 12 or more reps every set, then you ought to increase the resistance. You can either do this by stretching the band extra at the outset of the move or by including more bands. The recommended method is to add some more bands since it is readily repeatable to have a similar resistance on every workout.
- Focus On Inhaling And Exhaling. With this and most exercises inhaling and exhaling is important. You have to be breathing out during your primary muscle flexing and breathing in when your primary muscles are relaxing.
- Slow Your Exercise Down For Improved Muscle Hypertrophy. When you raise the time under tension you are engaging your muscles more and they will respond by developing toned muscles. You can do this without increasing the resistance by doing slow reps roughly 4 – 6 seconds flexing and pause then 4 – 6 seconds relaxing.
Benefits and Tips Video
Frequent Mistakes To Avoid
You ought to keep from doing these general mistakes to have nice form and muscle firming. Moreover
- Don’t have unequal resistance one each band, because you will use both sides differently.
- Don’t Allow Yourself To Cheat. In most cases, cheating is using momentum rather than the force of your target muscle tissue. From time to time, a little bit cheating on your last rep can be great to overload your muscle, although not for more than a handful of reps.
Find More Resistance Band Exercises Here
Variations and Complementary Exercises
The exercise Resistance Band Forward Raises is an excellent way to build strength in your shoulders and back. However, if you are looking for some variety or complementary exercises, there are many options available. Here are some variations, complementary, or alternative exercises that work similar muscles as the Resistance Band Forward Raises.
Resistance Band Lateral Raises

Resistance Band Lateral Raises are a great complementary or alternative exercise to Resistance Band Forward Raises. This exercise targets the lateral deltoid muscles, which are the muscles located on the sides of the shoulders. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a resistance band in each hand with an overhand grip. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor. Then, slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. This exercise is great for adding strength and size to the lateral deltoid muscles, making it a great complement or alternative to Resistance Band Forward Raises.
Resistance Band One Arm Shoulder Press

The Resistance Band One Arm Shoulder Press is a great complementary or alternative exercise to Resistance Band Forward Raises. This exercise works the same muscles as the forward raise but adds the benefit of strengthening your shoulder joint. This exercise can help to build strength and stability in the shoulder and can be used to target the muscles in the back, chest, and shoulder. It also helps to improve your posture and balance. It can be done with a single arm or with both arms at the same time, depending on your goals. This exercise can be easily modified to suit any fitness level and is a great way to add resistance to your workout routine.
Resistance Band Shoulder Press

The Resistance Band Shoulder Press is a great complementary exercise to Resistance Band Forward Raises. This exercise targets the shoulder muscles, while also engaging the chest and triceps. It is an effective way to strengthen and build muscle mass in the shoulders, while also providing a great cardiovascular workout. Resistance Band Shoulder Press can be performed with a variety of different bands and can be done either standing or seated, making it an accessible exercise for all fitness levels. As an alternative to Resistance Band Forward Raises, Resistance Band Shoulder Press can provide a great upper body workout while also improving posture and stability.
Check Out These Top Resistance Band Exercises
Resistance Band Upright Rows

Resistance Band Upright Rows are an excellent complementary or alternative exercise to Resistance Band Forward Raises. This exercise works the same muscles but in a different way. The Upright Row works the deltoids and traps, while the Forward Raise works the front deltoids. Additionally, Upright Rows require the use of both hands while the Forward Raise requires only one. The resistance band adds another layer of difficulty to the exercise, and can be adjusted to provide more or less resistance. Resistance Band Upright Rows are a great way to mix up your routine and get a full-body workout.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise

The Dumbbell Lateral Raise is a great complementary or alternative exercise to Resistance Band Forward Raises. This exercise targets the deltoid muscles, which are responsible for shoulder abduction and external rotation. To perform the exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Raise the weights up and out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the floor, then slowly lower them back down. The Dumbbell Lateral Raise is an excellent way to build shoulder strength and stability and is a great alternative to Resistance Band Forward Raises.
Reverse Grip Bent Over Dumbbell Row

The Reverse Grip Bent Over Dumbbell Row is an excellent complementary or alternative exercise for the Resistance Band Forward Raises. This exercise works the same muscles as the Resistance Band Forward Raises, but in a slightly different way. This exercise targets the back muscles, specifically the rhomboids, lats, and traps. To perform this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and bend at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor. From this position, pull the weights back towards your waist while squeezing your shoulder blades together. This exercise is effective for strengthening the upper back muscles, as well as increasing overall core strength.
Find More Shoulders Exercises Here
Opposing Complementary Exercises
In order to ensure a balanced workout, it is important to also do exercises that work the opposing muscle groups of the Resistance Band Forward Raises. Strengthening opposing muscle groups helps to create balance in the body and increases overall strength. Below are some exercises that complement the Resistance Band Forward Raises by working the opposite muscles.
Push Up From Knees

Push up from knees is a great complement to Resistance Band Forward Raises, as it works the opposing muscle group. Push up from knees helps to strengthen the chest and triceps while Resistance Band Forward Raises targets the shoulders and upper arms. Push up from knees can also be a great way to increase stability in the upper body and core muscles, which will help stabilize the shoulders during the Resistance Band Forward Raises exercise. This combination of exercises helps to create a balanced workout that targets multiple areas of the body.
Lying Cable Fly

The Lying Cable Fly is a great complementary exercise to the Resistance Band Forward Raises as it works the opposite muscle group. The Lying Cable Fly utilizes the chest muscles while the Resistance Band Forward Raises focus on the shoulder muscles. This combination works to strengthen both the chest and shoulder muscles, promoting greater upper body strength and stability. Additionally, the Lying Cable Fly targets the inner chest muscles, which helps to improve posture and balance. The combination of these two exercises provides an effective and balanced workout for the upper body.
Lunge Push Up

The Lunge Push Up is a great complementary exercise to Resistance Band Forward Raises as it targets the opposite muscle group. This exercise strengthens and stabilizes the chest, shoulders, and triceps while engaging the core. The lunge push up is a full-body exercise that involves pushing up from a plank position with one leg bent in a lunge position. This exercise increases overall strength, coordination, balance, and stability while targeting the opposing muscle groups of the Resistance Band Forward Raises.
Level Up Your Fitness Routine with Resistance Band Forward Raises
Resistance band forward raises are a great way to add variety and challenge to your fitness routine. By incorporating resistance bands, you can engage your muscles in a different way and increase the intensity of your workouts. These exercises can target your shoulders, arms, and upper back, helping to improve your posture and overall strength. Plus, resistance band workouts are convenient and portable, making them perfect for at-home or on-the-go workouts. Get ready to level up your fitness routine with these simple but effective exercises.
References: Wikipedia | ExRx.net | PubMed.gov | Comprehensive List of Shoulders Resistance Band Exercises