How to do an Iron Cross
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Iron Cross
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Iron Cross is a compound movement that combines multiple movements together, and targets a wide variety of different muscle groups. Keeping your arms extended and parallel to the floor helps to keep your shoulders engaged throughout the movement. Adding this movement to a squat helps to recruit more muscles than performing similar exercises in isolation.
- Place feet just outside shoulder-width apart and slightly angled outward while laterally raising a pair of dumbbells so your arms are parallel to the floor in the coronal plane.
- Keep weight evenly distributed through your feet throughout the exercise.
- Begin to descend by bending the knees and bringing the hips slightly back, your knees should track slightly outward over the second toes.
- Keep the core braced to avoid any rounding of the spine.
- As you descend, move your extended arms forward until your palms face each other in the sagittal plane.
- Return to starting position at a normal pace and repeat movement.
Common Form Mistakes
Limit Range of Motion
Raising the weight too high can increase your risk of injury, and isn’t particularly beneficial for these exercises. Limit your range of motion to around shoulder height. If you’re looking to make the exercise more challenging consider pausing for a moment at the top of the movement.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Iron Cross standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps10lbs1 Rep Max12.5lbs
- intermediate8reps12.5lbs15lbs
- advanced8reps15lbs20lbs
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Alternatives & Variations to Iron Cross
1. Dumbbell Front Raise
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 1,922 TIMESDumbbell Front Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise, and can work well to isolate the shoulders to build strength and muscle mass. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
2. Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
94.7 mSCORESWAPPED 1,272 TIMESDumbbell Rear Delt Raise is a variation of Dumbbell Shoulder Raise. Similar to other shoulder raises, this is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. By hinging your hips back, and leaning forward slightly, you can further emphasize your rear deltoids (back of the shoulder).
3. Arnold Dumbbell Press
93.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,240 TIMESArnold Dumbbell Press is a compound movement that primarily targets the shoulders. The difference between the Arnold Press and a standard Shoulder Press is that you bring the dumbbells in front of you at the bottom of the movement rather than stopping when they reach your shoulders. Bringing the dumbbells in front of you can be more a comfortable movement as well as improve muscle activation.
4. Dumbbell Shoulder Raise
97.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,224 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise and can work well for building muscle mass and strengthening the shoulders. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
5. Side Laterals to Front Raise
73.6 mSCORESWAPPED 1,147 TIMESSide Laterals to Front Raise is a variation of both Shoulder Raise and Front Raise. This exercise involves raising the weight out to either side, then bringing the dumbbells together in front of you. The benefit of this variation is that both positions target different parts of the shoulder. This ensures that you’re training your shoulders more completely.
6. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
86 mSCORESWAPPED 1,069 TIMESStanding Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Like other Shoulder Press variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By using dumbbells, you add more instability to the movement which can help recruit smaller stabilizing muscles around your shoulder. In addition, by performing this exercise while standing you add even more instability.
7. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,001 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for slightly more instability than with equipment like barbells. This can help you recruit and develop stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. In addition, by using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
8. Seated Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
82.4 mSCORESWAPPED 870 TIMESSeated Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the rear deltoids (back of the shoulder). By performing this exercise while seated, you add more stability, preventing body sway to assist with the lift. The use of dumbbells ensures equal load distribution between sides, helping identify and correct strength imbalances, making it excellent for isolated shoulder training.
9. Dumbbell Lateral Raise To Front Raise
78.6 mSCORESWAPPED 804 TIMESDumbbell Lateral Raise to Front Raise is a combination of both Shoulder Raise, and Front Raise. Both movements in this exercise are isolation movements that primarily target the shoulder. By performing these exercises together, you can more completely target your shoulders than by using one of these two movements.
10. Kettlebell Upright Row
75.4 mSCORESWAPPED 782 TIMESKettlebell Upright Row is a variation on the more standard Upright Row. This compound exercise primarily targets your shoulders. The benefit to using a Kettlebell is the ability to pull the handle in opposite directions at the top of the movement. This can help improve muscle activation compared to other variations.