front delt workouts

It might come as surprise however, your anterior deltoids (aka front deltoids) are the biggest of the three deltoid heads, and if you train your deltoids enough they could be at least 5 times larger than those living a sedentary lifestyle. This is quite a bit of growth potential. Front deltoids possess this potential because they play a important role in many of the complex upper body movements. The front deltoids are activated through all pressing exercises including push ups, bench press, and overhead presses. This is because your front delts are the ones that power shoulder flexion, which all pressing exercises require. Simply put, every time you raise your arms up, your front delts are performing.

In order to give you the chance to reach your maximum front delt muscle growth and strength potential, we've put together this front hypertrophy and strength guide for delts which contains everything you must know about front delts. The guide covers the anatomy and duties of your deltoids. how to know if your anterior delts require a bit more attention or if they're weak, the most effective exercises and stretching exercises for the anterior deltoids in addition to training techniques and guidelines for programming that will ensure the highest level of shoulder development.

Without further ado I'll begin (it's an extremely long article that's why you should save this site and come back to it as often as you like).

Note that anterior delts and front delts are the same thing (anterior means "situated on the front") So don't get confused , as we'll use both terms interchangeably throughout this article.

SHOULD I TRAIN FRONT DELTS?

It's not about whether you be training front delts or not, but should you be doing isolation exercisesthat specifically target the front delts as there is no doubt that you need to train the front delts. The fact that you don't train the front delts  front delt workouts  is like not exercising every other muscle.

Obviously the reason this questions is being asked is that the front delts are the primary mover during overhead presses and they are particularly active during bench presses (especially incline press) that any decent exercise program will incorporate. The same applies to handstands, push-ups and pike push ups for people who train only with body weight.

So, the issue is: are these exercises sufficient for the full development of front deltoids or should you be doing more isolated exercises?

The answer is, it depends ....

Are your front delts underdeveloped and weak or are they too developed and overactive?

If this is the case, then doing isolation exercises after doing the major pressing exercises can give you the particular boost they need.

If that's the case then it's probably best to skipping isolation exercises for your front delts, stick to the big compound presses and begin performing more back and middle delt exercises.

Note: The main reason for front delt isolation exercises is for hypertrophy purposes (aesthetics in addition to definition), as the overall strength should be taken care of with the massive press exercises.

Let's look at this issue a bit deeper, since it's not easy to determine if you're front delts are weak...

 

BEST REP RANGES & LOAD:

The number of reps you need to do mean nothing without consideration for load. Therefore, when you discuss one aspect, it is important to include the other.

To comprehend the most effective rep and load scheme is to be aware about the fibers of anterior deltoids.

The anterior deltoids are made up by an even amount of fast and slow Twitch muscle fibers.

In simplest terms this means that they'll react somewhat better to heavier weights when performing low in moderate to high reps (i.e. 3-10 reps), but also lighter weight for high reps (10-15 reps) will also be beneficial.

The weight load should challenge you (bring you close to failure or even near failure) in the prescribed rep ranges.

We all know that overhead presses, incline presses as well as front raises, are among the most effective exercises for front delts. Let's analyze these exercises in relation to reps and load.

Overhead press and incline press are best exercises to strengthen the anterior delts. They are most effective when performed between 3 and 12 reps. 3 - 6 reps using heavy weight and 6-12 reps using light weight.

Front raises are usually best when you use moderate to light weights for moderate to high repetitions, i.e. 8-15 reps. The difficulty of a raise is to attain true failure since you'll be unable to complete another rep. This is because it's easy to cheat. Therefore, you need to pick a load where you really feel the "burn" on the last several reps, while maintaining good form.

Note: Good posture is required on both presses and raises, to ensure you are engaging the front delts, rather instead of compensating (cheating) by using speed or other muscles.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU TRAIN FRONT DELTS?

When considering what time you should train your front deltoids, you'll need to consider both total volume and frequency per week.

VOLUME & FREQUENCY:

Ideally, you'd like to get your front delts working with approximately 10-12 sets per week, separated into two or three sessions. For advanced athletes, the number of sets may need to be more, around 10+ sets each week.

 

Most would suggest that the front delts will recover in a slower manner. In this regard, if want to train directly with them, you should try to do it 2 times per week and, at the most, 3xper week. You should also allow for 48 hours between sessions which directly are focused on the frontdelts.

Remember, the front delts are trained through chest exercise, so if you do excessive volume for your front delts, you could be compromising your exercise for the chest.

A typical Example of 12 weeks of sets could look like this:

• Shoulder day: Overhead Press x 3 sets, Arnold Press x 3 sets, Front Raises x 3 sets
• Chest day: Incline Bench Press x 3 sets

In that case, you'd have a total volume of 12 sets that are directly front delts.

This should be enough for most trainees.

It's important to remember that in actuality, your front delts will get more stimulation than this because they will also be activated when you do flat bench, push ups as well as flys and other shoulder exercises, however, to a lesser degree.

19 BEST ANTERIOR DELT EXERCISES

We'll break down the anterior deltoid workouts into categories to help in keeping this all digestible. The categories include the vertical press, horizontal press, front raises, upright rows, and bodyweight exercises.

 

Since horizontal and vertical presses are essentially the same exercise, which workouts should generally begin with, let's start there.

VERTICAL PRESSES

Vertical presses mean you are making a press from a standing or upright position. Your body is vertical.

1. OVERHEAD PRESS

The standard overhead press is an exercise where you push dumbbells or bars (although other equipment can also be utilized as you will come to see) over your head with your arms in a lateral position and your body upright (vertical).

This exercise works all three deltoids' heads, as well as your upper chest, the triceps front serratus and upper traps. These delts, both front and side are the main driver of the movement. Your rear delts function as a stabilizing muscle and also other muscles such as your rhomboids and the muscles of your core. Simply put, it's an intense compound exercise that's why it engages a number of muscles, but your delts on the sides and front are the main muscles to be targeted.

The overhead press can be a good exercise to begin your push or shoulder workouts to do since it's very taxing and requires more energy.

 

In regards to equipment, there are many options available, like:

 

• Barbell
• Dumbbells
• Smith Machine
• Resistance Bands
• Kettlebells

The majority of the time, it's dumbbells and barbells which draw the most attention from overhead presses, and with good reason. Both have their benefits. The overhead press for dumbbells has greater stability and therefore increases the effectiveness of the deltoids, and the barbell typically can handle the highest capacity of weight.

Be that as it may in the light of research, it does show that dumbbells provide the most exercise, especially when in a standing position.

That does not mean that you must only employ dumbbells. You can do both. This is the same for standing and seated overhead presses. Both will provide you with the range you need to avoid losing returns, and also to test your muscles in different ways.

Therefore, when we consider a the overhead press in its standard form as a whole there are the following variations:

• Standing Barbell
• Standing Dumbbell
• Seated Barbell
• Seated Dumbbell
• Seated Smith Machine
• Standing Kettlebell
• Standing Resistance Band

We won't explain how to do each however we'll show you images of the entire process. First, let us look at the main cues that be the same regardless of the variant.

 

Standing Overhead Press Tips:

• Hip width stance.
• Flat feet on the floor.
• Feet parallel.
• Knees locked (this is a strictly enforced press! ).
• Hips locked (this is a very strict press! ).
• The glues are squeezed and the core is tight.
• Elbows are approximately 45° from your torso. This will have your forearms in an upright position with your forearms in the lowest position (this will have your hands slightly wider than the shoulder width).
• Straighten your wrists.
• Bar path is straight up (in the direction of your feet).
• Don't tilt your head back when the bar gets close to your neck, instead bring your entire head back to create an over-chin.
• Lock out at the top and bring your hands down until your hands are about shoulder level (bar near chest if using barbell).

Seated Overhead Press Tips:

• All the same is true with overhead presses for seated positions, but your lower body is eliminated from the equation. Nevertheless, your feet should be securely planted on the ground to provide stability and your core must be tight.

 

Smith Machine Overhead Press

Resistance Band Overhead Press

We always recommend free weights for serious growth Bands are good to do at home and for supersetting.

2. PUSH PRESS

This push press is a variant of an overhead press. It's just like the overhead press, except you will be using your lower body as you press the bar up overhead. Essentially, it's like an overhead press that cheats and you'll bend in the hips and knees to help push your barbell (or kettlebells) into the air overhead.

The benefit of the pressing press will allow you to make use of heavier loads, and will thus boost your fundamental overhead strength and power.

 

Note: It's not so effective for front delts as an overhead press, but it's excellent for your overall body, so you can kind of meet two needs in only one exercise. However, we would suggest this to only powerlifters athletes, crossfitters, and anyone who enjoy kettlebell sports. If you're only interested in bodybuilding the kettlebell is not required.

3. ARNOLD PRESS

The Arnold press is a vertical dumbbell pressing exercise that pushes you through multiple areas of motion. Instead of pressing straight upwards, you press up and laterally, extending your arms towards the outside.

With Arnold press Arnold press, the starting posture will be with your palms looking inward towards your chest and your elbows out in the front of you. You'll press upwards from this position . When the dumbbells begin to rise you'll move your arms towards the overhead press position and then up in the air. The motion will be the same in order to bring the dumbbells down.

This vertical press exercise is fantastic for both the middle and front delts, in addition to all of the other muscles that make up an overhead press. What's different about this workout when compared with the standard overhead press from a strength and hypertrophy perspective can be that it targets your front delts really well. This is because the start of the movement in the lower position places your elbows out in front of your body, which is specifically the shoulder flexion point, meaning your front delts serve as the primary player (with assistance by your chest's upper part). Furthermore, with the bottom of vertical presses as the most difficult, because of our inherent strength curve, it puts more emphasis on front delts, which is the position that is the most crucial for building strength. This is why it's a more effective vertical pressing exercise when thinking exclusively from a front-delta view, but still gives you an effective middle delt activation. It's the most bang for your budget kind of exercise plus it teaches you various planes of motion which helps build up good coordination of movement. There's a reason Arnold Schwarzenegger was so fond of this kind of exercise.

 

4. REVERSE GRIP PRESS

The reverse grip press is similar to the Arnold press, however it doesn't rotate your forearms towards an overhand position as they press upwards. By doing this, your elbows remain in the forward direction and tension will remain focused on your front the delts.

The only issue with a reverse grip press is that it shouldn't be able to do too much so the overhead press is still the top choice for front exercises for the delts. But, this could be a good addition to the routine of someone who would like to bring greater focus on the front of their delts.

5. HAMMER PRESS

 

The Hammer press is a delt-centric press just like the reverse grip presses as it holds your elbows in place and the action is focused on shoulder flexion (and obviously extended elbows).

It is possible to do this either bilaterally or alternating. Both options are effective. The alternative allows you to focus on a particular side at a time which can be useful for fixing muscular imbalances and attracting more in your core.

This and the Hammer grip (neutral grip) overhead press are about as front-delt dominant of presses as it gets. Keep your elbows tucked toward the forward direction and your focus is on your shoulder joint.

6. LANDMINE PRESS

It's unique because it uses a different angle. It's a great option for a bit of front delt workouts and it's beneficial for your muscles of the scapula that stabilize it..

One of the best benefits associated with the landmine shoulder press that it can take away a great deal of pressure from your shoulder joint. The best part is, it does this in a way that doesn't detract from the process of building strength and bulk as you can go pretty heavy and it targets the front delts beautifully.

 

Another benefit of this landmine presses is the fact that they will strengthen your core also, since you'll be pressing only on one side, so your core will be activated to maintain the stability.

Note: Two handed landmine presses can be effective however they can turn the exercise into more of an upper chest work out by both the angle of the press as well as vertical adduction of your arms. Nevertheless, it also targets the front delts with great success and can be performed to knock out two muscles at the same time.

7. MILITARY PRESS WITH HANGING BANDS

There's not much to say concerning this workout, except that it's exactly the same as the standard military press, but with a lot more stabilization and a higher demand. With your bars of resistance being hung from bars' sleeves and some weight attached at the end the barbell becomes unstable, which makes it necessary to engage your muscles in different ways. Every rep will require focus. This could lead to greater muscles activation. Also, it does an excellent job of activating your complex of the rotator cuff at a higher rate.

In the end, this kind of workout can be mixed in with other activities to help develop more resilience to injury and overall strength by enhancing stabilization.

HORIZONTAL PRESSES

Horizontal presses indicate that you're press from a position that you're body's vertical (parallel to the floor) or, in other words push-ups and bench presses.

 

Although incline presses are at the midpoint between horizontal and vertical however, they fall under the horizontal category.

Horizontal presses are usually designed to target your pecs, but the front delt is also a major mover and because these workouts generally permit you to maximize weight, they're an absolute vital part of increasing the strength of your anterior deltoid.

Note: We won't talk about this exercise in a flat way, even though it's a essential part of any strength training routine, as long as you do not have any shoulder issues while benching (which is common with a flat bench presses). A flat bench press can be great for the anterior delts too however, it is more focused on the pec. Rather than going over the many varieties of bench press in which there are many, we will just stick to those that work the front delts the most.

8. INCLINE BENCH PRESS

The intention behind the incline bench press is to target the upper part and pec main. But, as you've guessed that the head of the upper and the front delt work together for pressing exercises, so you'll also be working your front delt in a substantial way with press presses that incline, particularly if using a 45@ incline.

The benefit of using the inclined press is that it are able to go heavy as well. It is because, not only can it stimulate the front delt significantly, but it also allows it to be placed under the heaviest load. It's most likely the largest, front delt-focused workout that you can do.

9. CLOSE GRIP FLAT BENCH PRESS

 

The bench with a close grip allows your hands to reach about shoulder width, which helps keep your elbows to your sides. It is because the movement is all about elbow extension and shoulder flexion rather than shoulder flexion, elbow extension or horizontal deduction. This means that the close grip flat bench press focuses on an anterior deltoid as well as the upper pec major, as well as the triceps. So, if you want you to pay your front deltoid more attention while also hitting other muscles that are important, like your tricepsmuscles, you could incorporate this into your chest workouts. It's a good technique to make the workout more efficient.

10. REVERSE GRIP INCLINE BENCH PRESS

Like the close grip bench press The reverse grip puts more emphasis on shoulder flexion, and thus, the movement becomes more front delt focused and the upper chest is more focused. This also allows for greater flexibility at the elbows. This leads to greater tricep muscle activation. The bench press that is reverse grip even shows to be an effective exercise for your biceps.

 

In the end In the end, if you're looking to do an exercise that meets a range of demands, including your arms, shoulders and chest - the reverse grip is an excellent alternative. It's typically easier to do on your shoulder than a close grip bench press too and could make it an appropriate choice for some people.

11. HAMMER PRESS

It's the exact same principle with the Hammer Press. The grip holds your elbows in a close proximity to your side and the move only affects shoulder flexion. So, like the closed and reverse grip bench press the hammer press also known as a neutral grip bench press is focused on your anterior muscles, namely your triceps and delts.

12. FLOOR PRESS

In general, the reason for floor presses isn't because they don't have access to a bench, but to work on the end range of motion of a bench press. With floor presses you can deal with lockout issues and stuck points. Concerning the front delt, this upper range of movement is front delt dominant which means that the front delt takes the majority of the workload.

 

If you're looking for more details about horizontal presses with clear directions on how to use them, check out our guide on press presses on the bench.

FRONT RAISES

Although side raises also target the front delts since the front delts play a role when abducting the shoulder, we will keep to front raises and the variations thereof because it's specifically for the anterior delts and that's what this article is about.

13. FRONT RAISES

Front raises are a common isolation exercise of the anterior delt or at minimum as isolated as it gets considering the head above the pec major can also act on shoulder the flexion.

It is a single joint movement, so movement only occurs at the shoulder joint. Of course, the main movement involves shoulder flexion. Therefore, your elbow will remain fixed when you lift your arm upwards.

There are a variety of variations to this front lift. It is possible to use various methods of training such as grip posture as well as body posture and load positions and also different equipment. We'll provide you with several of the most effective ways to do it but let's first look through how to perform the basic front raise using dumbbells. This is the most common version.

How to do a standing front raise:

 

1. Get a pair of dumbbells with two in your hands. Use an overhand grip.
2. Your feet should be about hip width apart and your feet pointed forward.
3. Put the dumbbells between your thighs and keep your arms full extended (a slight bend in your elbow is ok).
4. You must stand at a good height. Your shoulder blades should be lowered and back so that your shoulders are fully loaded.
5. You can lift both hands at the same time while keeping your elbow in place. Make sure your arm is parallel with your floor (arm straight with the hand at about your shoulder).
6. Make sure to hold the position for a minute and then slowly lower your arms again until they're just the front of your thighs, then repeat.

Note There's no reason to move higher than shoulder-level and this exercise should be performed with lighter weight and higher the number of repetitions (light weight is also less risky in terms of risk of injury).

The most commonly used variation of this is single-arm dumbbell front raises (or alternate) which allows you to concentrate on a single side at a stretch and demands an additional amount of core work.

The front raise can also be done while sitting in a in a seated position, with your arms directly in front of you as well.

Let's talk about some aspects of training for front raises right now...

Equipment for Front Raises:

While dumbbells are the most frequently used equipment for front raises, they could also be achieved using an EZ Bar kettlebells, bands and kettlebells cable pulleys or perhaps a plate with weights.

 

Here's an example a...

Cable Pulley Front Raise

Resistance Band Front Raise

Plate Front Raises

 

The various devices work and offer slightly different activation, so it's beneficial to change things up.

Grip for Front Raises:

There are three choices for grip positions:

• Overhand
• Underhand
• Neutral

Overhand grips place emphasis on your front delts and middle delts.

The underhand is a great way to emphasize the front delts and your upper chest.

Neutral grip is predominantly front delt focused.

Body Position for Front Raises:

The most common body positions for front raises include standing, sitting at a comfortable height, upright, and seated, and an incline that is prone.

Standing vs Seated Front Raise: Both are extremely effective and are quite identical. Standing puts you in a biomechanically advantageous place, and you're able to use a little heavier of the weight.

When the front of the seated incline raises, it can activate your pecs. The inclined rise (as you will see below) will bring your back and middle delts into focus.

Load Position for Front Raises:

Depending on your body position, you can alter the load's position.

If you are doing front raises seated you will have the load higher to your left than with standing (although you can put the load on your side while standing). You can also brings the load closer to your centerline with either holding both hands on one dumbbell with a close hold on an an EZ Bar or performing front raises with a weighted plate.

 

The closer your hands are, the more your chest will be engaged, and the further apart they are towards your sides, the larger your delts in your side will be.

Of course body, grip, and load positioning are mixed and match, as seen with these exercises:

Close Grip Front Raise

Seated Incline Underhand Grip Front Raise

Standing Underhand Front Raise

 

Alternating Front Raise

Close Grip Prone Incline Front Raise

14. BATTLE ROPES

Battle ropes are a complete body condoning tool, but they are a great way to strengthen the deltoids because of their its design and purpose. In essence, when you do the battle rope exercise, you are performing both conditioning and deltoid exercise (hypertrophy as well as endurance).

 

The most effective exercises using a rope for your front delts would be those where you are performing shoulder flexion. Essentially they are like dynamic front raises. That is the reason we've put them in the front raise category.

The best example is the standard war rope.

You can incorporate this exercise into your workouts to really work the front delts. You can keep your heart rate high or utilize it as a final exercise after a shoulder workout for a full workout of the delts.

Research has shown that battle ropes provide around 50% MVC (maximum voluntary contraction) for the anterior delts. This is an impressive figure considering front raises are just around 58%, and DB shoulder is around 74%.

UPRIGHT ROWS

The majority of people think of upright rows when it comes to working their side delts and upper traps (as as their rear delts). But it's also an effective exercise for front delts.

15. UPRIGHT ROWS

 

The straight rows are normally done with dumbbells or EZ bars, but they can also be completed using a smith equipment, Olympic Barbells, Straight bars using a cable pulley machine, or resistor bands.

Deltoid Muscle Activation for Upright Rows:

• Front Delts (33% MVC - Maximum Voluntary Contraction)
• Side Delts (73% MVC)
• Rear Delts (31% MVC)

What this means is that the upright row is a appropriate exercise for the entire deltoids. The greatest amount of activation will occur from your side delts but your front delts and rear delts are also going to get an excellent amount of stimulation. Which makes this one the most complete deltoid workouts. This is just another illustration of how you can make your workouts effective and efficient.

We like to add this one at the end of the workout in order to take out all three heads and give your middle delts extra focus they need, given that the mid delts are generally the hardest to area for effective targeting.

Should you avoid upright rows? good for your shoulders?

Upright rows get a somewhat poor rap since they can cause shoulder pain, but that's only if you do them in a tight an grip. If your shoulders feel comfortable they can be done cautiously with any size grip, but if you have any shoulder joint issues just use a wider grip and you'll enjoy the benefits of discomfort-free upright row growth in the deltus.

 

BODYWEIGHT

Simply because the fact that you're not able to access to gym facilities or free weight machines does not mean you cannot hit your front delts efficiently.

Standard push-ups give 48 percent MVC. This means they're extremely effective in hitting the front delts. Move your feet up onto platforms (decline push ups) and the MVC will increase.

Then, decline push ups are a great choice However, here are a few other specific exercises for the front delts using bodyweight...

16. PIKE PUSH UPS

The pike push up is very demanding push up variation (yes this is more difficult than regular push-ups!). This body posture places focus to your deltoid muscles (especially your front ones) and triceps, as well as your back, upper and the serratus anterior.

The higher your feet and the more your torso gets parallel to the floor the more shoulder muscle activation you experience and the more difficult it will be.

17. HANDSTANDS

 

Handstands belong to overhead presses what push-ups are to the bench press. This is the bodyweight version of overhead presses.

The most significant difference is that handstands are more challenging than push-ups, particularly when you perform handstand push-ups.

For the beginner, make handstands while holding this position 10 to 20 minutes. Handstands can be an isometric exercise that is a great means to strengthen your arms, shoulders the chest and upper back.

When you have gained strength, you can try handstand push ups. They are obviously difficultdue to the fact that you're using your body weight as to be a weight. In other words, if your weight is 200lbs, you're doing a 200lb overhead press. The majority of people will not be able to do them and even if they manage to complete a couple of reps, it's beneficial.

18. CHEST DIPS

Dips in the chest (aka parallel dip) is an excellent exercise for your pec major, however, it also stimulates the anterior delts (along with other muscles) quite effectively. A study conducted by ACE finds that dips generate 41% MVC, which is only less than push ups. This comparatively high amount of muscle activation is quite logical when considering the movements involve shoulder flexion as well as elbow extension.

 

Even if you go to the gym, we would recommend doing lunges to the chest. This is a fantastic form of compound exercise.

Note If you don't have dip bars available, you can simply set up sturdy chairs and dip them in between.

19. TRICEP DIPS

The last workout we've got on the table is the dip of the tricep. Like the chest dip it also requires some degree of shoulder flexion. Therefore, it's likely to work the anterior deltoid quite well. Not as good as chest dips, but certainly a worthy addition to every push-based workout at home or the gym.

CONCLUSION:

Your front delts comprise the largest part of your shoulder and are involved in a variety of compound lifts, which range from push-ups to overhead press and bench press including the various variations that these exercise routines.

Therefore, they tend not to be an area that requires too more attention, as provided you're performing your big compound pushing exercises. However, it is always beneficial to know the best exercises you can do to help ensure the maximum development of the muscle head (especially as you become more experienced). Furthermore, it can help in creating a workout program that's effective and efficient.

Keep in mind, these are the best exercises for front delts:

• The Overhead Press
• The Incline Press
• The Front Raise
• The Push Up
• The Dip
• The Upright Row

If you're concerned that your anterior delts are falling in terms of strength and development Make sure you incorporate these exercises in your workout plan . You can also play around using the different variations as you'd like. Be sure to make the best decision when you design your workout regimen and all will be stellar.