11 Best Anterior Deltoid Exercises for Sturdy Shoulders

The shoulder is a group of three muscles, front, lateral, and rear delt, and they work together with other torso muscles to perform various activities, such as pushing, pulling, throwing, and reaching.

You’ll have to hit each delt specifically to build sturdy and flexible shoulders.

I’ve already published lateral and rear delt exercises in my previous blogs, and today I’ll share the best front delt exercises.

This article includes bodyweight, dumbbell, resistance band, and barbell exercises that will hit your anterior delts in multiple ways and help build firm and sculpted shoulders.

Depending on your fitness level and the equipment you use, you can integrate those exercises into your shoulder workout program.

The Best Anterior Deltoid Exercises to Sculpt Your Shoulders

Here’s a quick list of all anterior delts exercises equipment-wise:

Bodyweight

• Pike Pushup
• Wall Supported Handstand Pushup
• Dive Bomber Pushup

Dumbbell

• Overhead Press
• Arnold Press
• Overhand Grip Front Raises
• Neutral Grip Front Raises

Resistance Band

• Overhead Press
• Unilateral Front Raises

Barbell

• Military Press
• Front Raises

Let’s see more about each exercise and how to do them with the step-by-step guide.

Bodyweight Front Delt Exercises

No equipment, no problem. You can use your body weight to target the anterior delts and build sturdy shoulders.

However, bodyweight front delt exercises are challenging and require decent strength and mobility.

If you’re a beginner, you can do the other exercises outlined in this article.

1. Pike Pushup

1. Sit on all fours, lift your knees off the floor, walk slightly backward, and get into an inverted “V” position.
2. Maintain a neutral spine position and brace your core and lower body.
3. Lower your head toward the floor as low as possible.
4. Pause for a second or two, then press into the floor to return to the start.
5. Do each rep slowly and focus on your muscles to feel the contraction.

2. Handstand Wall Pushup

1. Stand on your hands with the support of the wall.
2. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, and your feet rested on the wall.
3. Lower the head toward the floor in a slow and controlled manner.
4. Press back until your arms are straight.
5. Do as many sets and reps as possible.

3. Dive Bomber Pushup

1. Get into the starting position of the pike pushup.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your head toward the floor and then bring your head toward the floor by extending your elbows so your chest nearly grazes the floor.
3. Lower your hips toward the floor as your head moves forward, and only your toes will be on the floor.
4. Once your elbows are straight and your chest is facing forward, hold in that position for a couple of seconds and then reverse the movement to get back to the start.
5. Repeat for the desired repetitions.

You can also perform these bodyweight exercises to bolster your posterior delt.

Dumbbell Exercises for Anterior Delts

You can do various exercises to train your anterior delts at home with dumbbells.

Dumbbells are incredible equipment that provides a complete range of motion, allows you to perform unilateral exercises, and helps target the front shoulders effectively.

Here are the best dumbbell exercises you can do to forge your anterior delt and improve your shoulder health.

4. Dumbbell Overhead Press

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, sit on a bench, or stand upright.
2. Hold the dumbbell at your shoulder height with your palms facing forward, elbows in line with your shoulders.
3. Press the dumbbell toward the floor until your arms are straight.
4. Hold for a second or two, then slowly return the weight to the start.
5. Do three to four sets of ten to 15 repetitions.

5. Arnold Press

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and sit on a flat bench.
2. Bend your elbows and hold the dumbbell in front of your anterior delt with your palms facing in.
3. Rotating your wrist, press the weight overhead until your arms are straight. Your palms will be facing forward at the top of the press.
4. Reverse the steps to complete your first rep!
5. Perform each rep in a controlled fashion.

6. Dumbbell Front Delt Raises

The front raise is an isolation workout for the anterior deltoid. It helps you target the front delt more specifically and increase shoulder stability.¹ An Electromyographic Analysis of Lateral Raise Variations and Frontal Raise in Competitive Bodybuilders – PMC Articles

Steps to do it:

• Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, stand upright, and keep your arms straight in front of your thighs.
• Raise the dumbbell alternatively in front of you till or above your shoulder height.
• Contracting your shoulders, pause for a moment and lower the dumbbells to the start.
• Do each repetition in a controlled manner without just swinging your arms up and down.

7. Neutral Grip Front Delt Raises

The neutral grip front raise allows you to target the anterior delt at a different angle and help you build strong deltoids.

To perform the neutral grip front raises, grab one dumbbell with a neutral grip in each hand and keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing your hips. And lifts the dumbbell in front of you contracting your shoulders.

Incorporating both front and neutral grip dumbbell raises will be beneficial for you.

You can also train your rear delts with these dumbbell exercises.

Resistance Band Anterior Deltoid Exercises

You can also use a resistance band to strengthen your front delt muscles at home.

Here are two exercises that primarily target the front part of the shoulders.

1. Resistance Band Overhead Band Press
2. One-arm Resistance Band Front Raises

8. Overhead Band Press

Doing the overhead press with a resistance band may be challenging for you at first. However, with frequent practice, you’ll be able to do it effectively.

Steps to do it:

1. Place one end under your feet and stand on it in a shoulder-width stance.
2. Grab the other end with an overhand grip and raise it overhead until your arms are straight overhead.
3. Return to the start and then repeat for the desired number of times.

9. One-arm Banded Front Delt Raises

The single-arm front raises allow you to strengthen one muscle at a time and help improve strength and muscle imbalance.

Steps to do it:

1. Place one end under your feet and stand on it in a shoulder-width stance.
2. Grab the other end with an overhand grip with your right hand.
3. Raise the band in front of you until your arm is parallel to the floor.
4. Return to the start and repeat for the desired reps.

Barbell Front Deltoid Exercises

Barbell is a great piece of equipment that allows you to lift more weight, engage multiple muscles at once, and stimulate higher muscle activation.

You can do the military press and front raise to hit the anterior delt and build firm shoulders with dumbbells.

10. Military Press

1. Put the desired weight into the bar.
2. Grab it with your hands and stand straight in the shoulder-width stance.
3. Hold the bar in front of your shoulders with your elbows slightly pointing outward.
4. Keeping your core tight and back straight, press the weight toward the ceiling until your elbows are extended.
5. Lower the bar to the start and repeat for the required number of times.

11. Front Raises

1. Grab a loaded bar and stand upright with your arms straight and palms facing against the thigh.
2. Raise the bar in front of you until your arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Pause for a moment, then return to the start.
4. Perform as many reps and sets as possible.

You may also like: 6 Best Barbell Rear Delt Exercises

Final Words

Front delts are one of the three deltoids that make up the shoulders. They work during push exercises when you extend or raise your arms against you.

Firm anterior delts help enhance pushing strength, improve shoulder strength and mobility, and minimize the risk of rotator cuff injuries.

From bodyweight and dumbbells to resistance bands and barbells, you can use various equipment to bolster the front part of your shoulders.

I’ve outlined the various exercises in this article. You can integrate some of them into your workout program to fire up your front deltoids from multiple angles.

Related: 10 Best Side Delt Exercises for Broad Shoulders

References

• 1
  An Electromyographic Analysis of Lateral Raise Variations and Frontal Raise in Competitive Bodybuilders – PMC Articles