The 10 Best Front Delt Exercises for Muscle & Strength

Your deltoids, or shoulder muscles, are among the largest muscles in the upper body and are essential for both function and aesthetics. They are involved in most athletic activities and are invaluable in everyday life.

In addition, research suggests that the shoulder muscles are often seen as a stand-out part of the ideal physique, appealing to both men and women.^{1 2}

Your front delts comprise a significant portion of your shoulder muscles and are at the forefront when you bring your arms forward to hug someone or bench press a heavy weight.

This article reviews the 10 best front delt exercises for building stronger and bigger shoulders, focusing on the anterior deltoids.

Click here to jump directly to the front delt exercises!

Delt Anatomy and Function

The deltoid is a triangular muscle located on the outer part of your shoulders. It’s made up of three sets of muscle fibers called the anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoid, or front, side, and rear delts for short.

Many people believe the delts are relatively small compared to major muscle groups like your pecs or lats, but in reality, they are more sizeable than both.

It is a complex muscle group with many functions, and because it doesn’t attach to bone in many places, it can move in almost any direction. The different “deltoid heads” have distinct functions:

Shoulder Abduction

When you raise your arm out to the side, the lateral deltoids (side delts) are the muscles doing most of the job, like when you do lateral raises.

Shoulder Flexion

Your front delts help you lift your arm forward. When you do front raises or lift your arm in front of you, your front delts spring into action.

Shoulder Extension

The rear deltoids help extend your arm backward, like when you pull your arm back from an overhead position.

Transverse (Horizontal) Abduction and Adduction

Horizontal adduction is bringing your arms together in front of you, while horizontal abduction is opening them back out. Both are essential in many activities and sports, from swimming to swinging a bat. Horizontal abduction engages your rear delts, while horizontal adduction involves your front delts.

Do You Even Need to Train Your Front Delts?

Whether you need to train your front deltoids with dedicated exercises like front raises depends on your individual goals, anatomy, and how your body responds to different types of exercise.

Compound exercises like the bench press and overhead press heavily involve the front delts along with other muscle groups. For many people, especially beginners and intermediate lifters, they are enough for the front delts to grow.

Genetics also plays a significant role in how your body responds to training. Some might find that their front delts respond well and grow adequately from compound movements alone. Others may require targeted isolation work for a balanced upper body.

It’s more common to have overdeveloped front delts compared to the side or rear delts, especially if you love the bench press, making the shoulders appear narrower from the front than they could be. Too much of a good thing can lead to muscle imbalances.

If you want 3D-looking shoulders, your delts must be equally developed from all angles, which, for many people, means focusing on their side and rear delts instead of the front.

If your front delts are already well-developed in comparison, that might mean moderating the volume and intensity of any direct front delt work. Instead, you should increase the emphasis on lateral and rear delt exercises. Your front delts will receive stimulation from compound upper body exercises, and if you have naturally overpowering front delts, that will likely be enough. There is no need to do extra front raises, for example.

If you do need to add more mass to your anterior deltoids, however, look no further than these ten front delt exercises:

The 10 Best Front Delt Exercises

These are our choice of the ten best front delt exercises. We start with compound movements central to most upper body workouts before moving to shoulder-specific movements and dedicated anterior deltoid exercises.

1. Bench Press

The bench press is likely the most iconic upper body exercise and one of the most popular choices for building strong and muscular pecs.

However, bench presses are also great for developing your front deltoids. The flat bench press doesn’t activate your anterior delts as much as incline presses, but few exercises match them for overall chest and front delt strength and muscle growth.

One of the main advantages of the bench press is that you can use heavier loads than in most other pressing exercises. Continuous progressive overload is also easier to practice because you can keep adding weight to the bar almost indefinitely.

How to Bench Press

1. Lie on the bench, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and slightly arch your back.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Inhale, hold your breath, and unrack the bar.
4. Lower the bar with control, until it touches your chest somewhere close to your sternum.
5. Push the bar up to the starting position while exhaling.
6. Take another breath while in the top position, and repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

2. Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press is a variation of the traditional flat bench press. It is performed by inclining the bench to an angle, typically between 15 and 45 degrees.

Incline bench presses shift the focus to your upper pecs, but they also emphasize your anterior deltoids more. Your shoulder muscles have to work harder to stabilize the weight and push it upwards.

An incline of around 30 degrees is optimal for effectively engaging both the upper pecs and the front deltoids. Within that range, you get a good balance of upper chest and front delt development without overly prioritizing one over the other.

If you increase the incline to 45 degrees and beyond, the press starts to resemble an overhead press. You significantly activate your front delts more, but this makes it a less effective chest exercise.

How to Do Incline Bench Presses

1. Lie on an incline bench with your feet flat on the ground, your back slightly arched, and your shoulder blades retracted.
2. Grip the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Unrack the bar, holding it straight over your shoulders with your arms fully extended.
3. Take a breath and lower the barbell towards the upper part of your chest, aiming for the area just below your collarbones.
4. Exhale as you press the barbell back up to the starting position with extended arms.
5. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Alternative exercise:

Incline Dumbbell Press

3. Floor Press

The floor press is a classic exercise for your chest, triceps, and front delts that predates the regular bench press.

It involves lying on the floor and pressing a barbell up until the arms are fully extended, similar to the bench press, but, as its name suggests, the range of motion is limited by the floor.

While related to the bench press, the floor press offers distinct characteristics and benefits.

• The range of motion is shorter in a floor press compared to a bench press, which can reduce strain on the shoulders.
• The floor press focuses on the top half of the movement, which carries over to greater lockout strength and the ability to push through sticking points in the regular bench press.

Because you can’t use your lower body and leg drive to move the bar in the floor press, you might be limited in how much weight you can use. However, because more of the action comes from your anterior deltoids and triceps, it’s a great exercise to include in your front delt training.

How to Do the Floor Press

1. Lie down on the floor with your eyes under the racked bar.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Inhale, pull your shoulder blades down and together, and unrack the bar.
4. Lower the bar slowly until your upper arms hit the floor.
5. Reverse the motion and push the bar up to straight arms again.
6. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Alternative exercises:

• Dumbbell Floor Press
• Kettlebell Floor Press

4. Bar Dip

Sometimes called the “squat for the upper body,” the bar dip is a fantastic compound exercise for your pushing muscles: the chest, triceps, and front deltoids.

Perform the movement with a slight forward lean and allow your elbows to flare out slightly to emphasize your chest and the front of your shoulders rather than your triceps.

It you find bodyweight dips too challenging, you can make the exercise more accessible by using a resistance band.

Conversely, you can increase the difficulty by adding weight with a belt or by holding a dumbbell between your feet.

Go for a full range of motion, but don’t overdo it. Dips require good shoulder mobility, and if you struggle with good form or feel discomfort, only go as deep as your mobility allows. Forcing the depth can irritate your shoulder joint and increase the risk of injury.

How to Do Bar Dips

1. Grip a dip station about shoulder-width apart, and climb or jump to get into the starting position.
2. Lower yourself with control until your shoulder is below your elbow, or as deep as you comfortably can. Descending until your upper arm is parallel to the floor is deep enough for most people.
3. Reverse the motion and return to the starting position.
4. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

5. Overhead Press

Overhead presses come in many shapes and forms, but they are all among the best front delt exercises.

Barbell Overhead Press

The barbell overhead press, sometimes known as the military press, is a staple in shoulder workouts for beginners, bodybuilders, and advanced athletes alike.

Overhead presses are tremendous for building upper body pushing strength. They target the upper chest and shoulders, particularly the front deltoids.

1. Place a barbell on a rack about chest height.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and step close to it.
3. Inhale, lightly brace your core, and unrack the bar.
4. Let the bar rest against your front delts while you step back from the rack.
5. Press the bar up to straight arms while exhaling.
6. Inhale at the top or while lowering the bar with control back to your shoulders.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Alternative exercise:

Seated Barbell Overhead Press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The dumbbell shoulder press works the same muscles as the barbell version but with dumbbells.

It allows for a greater range of motion, which can benefit muscle growth. Also, because you can move your arms more to your sides, it can hit the side delts more than the barbell shoulder press, but still with an emphasis on the front deltoids.

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lift them to the starting position at your shoulders.
2. Inhale and lightly brace your core.
3. Press the dumbbells up to straight arms while exhaling.
4. Inhale at the top or while lowering the dumbbells with control back to your shoulders.
5. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Alternative exercise:

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Push Press

The push press is a dynamic movement that combines the overhead press with a slight knee bend to generate momentum. It works the same muscles but utilizes the legs and hips to drive the weight overhead, allowing for heavier lifts.

Push presses are exceptionally effective for building explosive power and functional strength and for improving athletic performance. 

1. Clean a bar to your shoulders or lift it out from a rack.
2. Let the bar rest against the front of your shoulders, with your grip slightly outside your shoulders.
3. Inhale and lightly brace your core.
4. Bend your knees, then forcefully push yourself and the bar upwards using your legs.
5. When your legs are extended, immediately start pressing the bar with your arms until fully extended.
6. With control, lower the bar back to your shoulders.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Machine Shoulder Press

The machine shoulder press removes all stability requirements from the movement, making it easier to focus on the working muscles. It’s also an easy exercise for a beginner to learn.

1. Adjust the machine to the appropriate settings, sit down, and grip the handles.
2. Press the handles upwards until your arms are straight.
3. Lower the handles with control.
4. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Alternative exercise:

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

6. Landmine Press

The landmine press is a unique compound movement involving pressing a barbell secured in a landmine attachment or corner. It provides a different angle to target the anterior deltoids than other presses and can be easier on the wrists and shoulders.

Landmine presses can be performed kneeling, standing, with one arm at a time, or both simultaneously. Regardless of how you perform them, they make it easy to overload your front delts (and upper chest to some extent) with heavy weights while still using strict form.

How to Do Landmine Presses

1. Set up a barbell in a landmine attachment or securely wedge it into a corner to prevent movement.
2. Kneel on the ground with one knee up and the other touching the floor.
3. Grip the end of the barbell. If your left knee is up, grip the barbell with your right hand, and vice versa.
4.  Bring the barbell to your shoulder, keeping your elbow tucked close to your body.
5.  Brace your core and glutes, and press the barbell upwards and slightly forward, extending your arm fully.
6.  Lower the barbell back to the starting position at your shoulder, controlling the weight through the descent.
7.  Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.
8.  Switch sides and repeat the exercise with your other arm, adjusting your kneeling position accordingly.

7. Upright Row

The upright row is a compound exercise for your traps and all three heads of the deltoids. It is particularly effective for the front and middle delts.

Upright rows have a bad rep for being risky because you internally rotate your shoulder and then out to the side, potentially increasing the risk of shoulder impingement.

However, if you have healthy shoulders, you can safely perform this great exercise by not raising your upper arms above shoulder height at the top of the movement.

You can do upright rows with a barbell, a pair of dumbbells, or a handle attached to the bottom of a cable machine.

How to Upright Row

1. Grip the bar with an overhand grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
2. Pull the bar straight up, until it is at the level of your chin.
3. With control, lower the bar back to the starting position.
4. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

8. Front Raise

Now we’re getting to isolation movements, exercises that zero in on a particular muscle. Compound exercises are a great way to do more work in less time, but sometimes you want to focus on a single muscle—case in point: the front raise, done with either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells.

Of all front delt isolation exercises, front raises are the best exercise for isolating this part of your shoulders. It’s a must in any dedicated front delt workout.

When doing front raises, it is essential to leave your ego outside the weight room. Select relatively light weights and focus on proper form, moving the barbell or dumbbells with your front delts, not momentum.

9. Plate Front Raise

The plate front raise is a unique and straightforward yet effective exercise for building strength and muscle in the front of your shoulder.

In this version of front raises you hold a weight plate in both hands and lift it upwards in front of you, the same way you perform the barbell and dumbbell front raise.

Using a plate changes how your grip and wrist are positioned and provides a more comfortable angle for some lifters. Also, the exercise only requires a weight plate, making it a straightforward addition to your shoulder workout routine.

• Do start light. The best way to zero in on your front delts is to start with a lighter weight and focus on technique before progressing to heavier weights.
• Do keep your back straight and your core engaged.
• Don’t use momentum to swing the weight up. Sure, doing so allows you to use significantly more weight, but in this case, cheating means less muscle-building effect where you want it.
• Don’t let the plate bump against your body as you lower it to maintain constant tension in the muscle.

How to Do Plate Front Raises

1. Hold a weight plate with a neutral grip, your fingers facing each other around the edges of the plate in front of your body. Your hands should be positioned in the center of the plate.
2.  Lift the plate upwards in front of you. Your arms should remain straight or have a slight bend at the elbows. Raise the plate to shoulder height.
3.  Reverse the movement and lower the plate with control.
4.  Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

10. Pike Push-Up

The pike push-up is one of only a few body weight front delt exercises. It is a challenging variation of the traditional push-up that primarily targets the shoulder muscles, particularly the front deltoid. It also engages the upper chest and triceps but to a lesser extent.

The angle of pike pushups places significant stress on your anterior deltoids as they are the primary movers in lifting your body back up. Although it’s a bodyweight exercise, the mechanics are similar to an overhead press with weights, where your front delts are the main targeted muscle.

If you want to take your shoulder push-ups to the next level, you can do handstand push-ups, although that makes for a genuine balance act that usually requires some practice to master.

How to Do Pike Push-Ups

1. Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Walk your feet towards your hands, lifting your hips up towards the ceiling, to form an inverted V shape with your body. Keep your legs and arms straight, heels gently pressing towards the ground. This is your starting position.
3. Lower your head towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them pointed straight back, not out to the sides.
4. Continue to lower yourself until your head is just above the ground.
5. Push through your hands to straighten your arms, lifting your head and shoulders back up to the starting position.
6. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Front Delt Workout for Muscle and Strength

That’s more than enough great exercises for a front delt workout regardless of your training experience.

Dont’ want to design your own? Follow ours!

The StrengthLog Shoulder Workout is a complete muscle- and strength-building workout for your delts. It hits them with five different movements from all different angles, with several exercises emphasizing the front deltoid.

• You start with the overhead press, one of the best exercises for overall delt development, where you can use heavy weights and practice progressive overload, the critical factor for muscle growth.
• After the presses, you switch to upright rows, a great exercise for bigger, stronger shoulders and traps.
• With the compound movements done, you move to isolation exercises: lateral and front raises for your side and front delts, respectively. Here, you focus on getting a good pump using good form rather than moving heavy loads.

If you train your posterior deltoids with your shoulders, reverse dumbbell flyes are the ideal isolation movement. However, rear delts fit just as well on back day, so feel free to do them then instead.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Overhead Press	3	5
Upright Row	3	10
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3	10
Barbell Front Raise	3	10
Reverse Dumbbell Fly	3	12

This shoulder workout is available for free in our workout tracker app, which you can download for free using the buttons below.

StrengthLog is 100 % free, but our premium version offers additional benefits.

Want to give premium a shot? We offer all new users a free 14-day trial of premium, which you can activate in the app.

Final Words

You have reached the end of this guide to the best front delt exercises. Thank you for reading!

Whether you want to bring your front deltoids up to par with the rest of your shoulder or if you’re one of the lucky ones whose front delts grow enough from your regular pressing exercises, these exercises are the cream of the crop when you need them to reach youur fitness goals.

Good luck with your shoulder training!

Click here to return to our list of strength training programs and workouts.

Click here to return to our full list of strength training exercises.

References

1. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e50601. What is an attractive body? Using an interactive 3D program to create the ideal body for you and your partner.
2. PLoS One. 2016; 11(6): e0156722. The Body and the Beautiful: Health, Attractiveness and Body Composition in Men’s and Women’s Bodies.