Anatomy Of The Front Delt
Anterior Deltoid
Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region
The front deltoid is one of three portions, or heads, of the shoulder muscle. Its muscle fibers originate on the outer part of the clavicle bone. They insert on the top of the humerus (upper arm bone).
The primary function of the front delt is to lift the arm forward and upward toward the clavicle. As a result, it is directly involved in front raise and pressing exercises. It is also activated when doing chest pressing exercises.
Benefits Of Front Delt Exercises
Front delt exercises are crucial for developing total shoulder muscle mass and strength. Here are three specific benefits of including front delt exercises in your routine.
Targeted Muscle Growth
Front delt exercises allow you to isolate the anterior deltoid muscle head. This places localized stress on this area of the shoulders. With proper rest and anabolic nutrition, they will grow slightly bigger to meet future stress.
Functional Strength
Strong front delts are needed for everyday pushing and lifting activities. They also contribute significantly to pressing exercises like the bench and dumbbell press. By incorporating front delt exercises, you will become functionally stronger and improve your bench pressing power.
Balanced Development
When you perform targeted exercises for each of the three deltoid heads, you promote even development. Shoulder workouts for men and women that include front delt movements prevent muscle imbalances that could lead to injury.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
The most common mistake when training the front delts is using a weight that is too heavy. The front delt is a relatively small part of the shoulder muscle. If the weight is too heavy to handle, other muscles will become involved. This will take the stress off the targeted muscle and compromise its strength and growth potential.
Another common mistake is not controlling the exercise’s lowering (eccentric) part. Studies show that a slow, controlled descent significantly improves muscle and strength potential.
Conclusion
You will develop powerful, rounded front shoulder muscles by including front delt exercises in your workout. You now have an arsenal of ten effective front delt exercises to choose from. Use our sample workout, set, and rep guides to keep your delt training varied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you should train the anterior deltoids, along with the lateral and posterior deltoids. Working all three heads ensures full development and avoids strength disparities.
You may be overtraining your front delts, which doesn’t give them enough time to recover and grow. Cut back to one workout per week for six weeks and see if things improve.
Developing the front delts adds roundness to your shoulders and fills in the muscles around your upper chest. It will also make you look wider.
No, you should not work your delts every day. They need at least 48 hours between workouts to recover and grow. The front delts are also involved in chest work, so they can easily be overtrained.
Resources
Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
- MA, E.A. (2024). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Deltoid Muscle. [online] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30725741/.
- Tipton, K.D. and Ferrando, A.A. (2008). Improving muscle mass: response of muscle metabolism to exercise, nutrition and anabolic agents. Essays in Biochemistry, [online] 44, pp.85–98. doi:https://doi.org/10.1042/bse0440085.
- Lasse Mausehund, Amelie Werkhausen, Bartsch, J. and Tron Krosshaug (2021). Understanding Bench Press Biomechanics—The Necessity of Measuring Lateral Barbell Forces. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, [online] 36(10), pp.2685–2695. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000003948.
- Ansari, M., Hardcastle, S., Myers, S. and Williams, A.D. (2023). The Health and Functional Benefits of Eccentric versus Concentric Exercise Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, [online] pp.288–310. doi:https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2023.288.
- Schoenfeld, B.J., Grgic, J. and Krieger, J. (2018). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, [online] 37(11), pp.1286–1295. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906.
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