The dumbbell front hold is a standing exercise in which you lift a light weight in each hand to shoulder level and keep the arms still there for a few seconds. The weights held out in front try to tip you forward, so the muscles along your spine (erector spinae) work to keep you upright while the front of the shoulders (anterior deltoid) keeps the arms level. It needs only a pair of light weights and a little floor space.

How to do the dumbbell front hold

Stand tall, feet apart, with one light dumbbell per hand, arms hanging by your sides and palms turned in toward your legs.
Ease your shoulders back a little and keep your chest lifted.
With your elbows straight, bring both arms up in front of you to shoulder level, turning the hands so your knuckles face the ceiling.
Keep them there for 3 to 5 seconds, breathing normally, without leaning back or letting your shoulders round forward.
Relax and bring the weights down slowly, take a breath, and repeat.

What you should feel

Effort in the front of each shoulder and, as the hold goes on, along the muscles either side of your spine.

Common mistakes

Leaning back to balance the weights out in front of you.
Letting the arms sag during the hold, or raising them past shoulder level.
Holding your breath while the arms are up.
Rounding the upper back as the arms tire.

How often

Many programs use 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 holds of about 3 to 5 seconds each, 2 to 3 times a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp or catching pain in either shoulder as you lift or hold, or pain, pins and needles or numbness that runs into an arm or hand.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

This version is meant to be held rather than lifted and lowered, and your back works harder the longer the arms stay up. Use weights you can hold at shoulder height without leaning back; filled water bottles will do if you have no dumbbells. If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every hold and never hold your breath. If holding the weights out in front makes your back ache, use a lighter weight or a shorter hold and tell your physio.

After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed. Following a rotator cuff repair, holding weights out at arm's length tends to be left until the final stages of rehab.

If you would rather keep the arms moving, the dumbbell front raise uses smooth repetitions with only a brief pause at the top. For the sides of the shoulders, try lateral raises.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Dumbbell front hold