Front delts (anterior deltoid): exercises and how to train

The front delt starts on the outer third of the collarbone and attaches to the upper arm. It raises the arm forward and up, helps bring the arms together in front of you and rotates the shoulder inward. Since it works in almost every press, from the bench to the overhead press, it is often already the strongest of the three heads.

Group

Shoulders

Main muscle in

6 exercises

Helps in

11 exercises

On the map

front

How to train it

Overhead pressing is the main tool: Overhead press, Seated dumbbell press and Arnold press, with Front raise for isolation. Keep the elbows slightly in front of the body and avoid arching your lower back. If your plan already includes plenty of flat and incline pressing, 4–8 direct sets a week is usually enough.

Front

Back

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Best front delt exercises

Every pick loads the front delt where it works hardest: raising the arm forward and up. You get two overhead presses, an incline press, a twisting press and one isolation move. They differ in load, range of motion and how much the triceps and side delts help.

Overhead press

Barbell

The heaviest overhead press, and the easiest to keep loading for years. Your front delts drive the bar from the collarbones to lockout while the side delts and triceps assist. Pick it for strength and size together. The catch: a back arch easily steals the work.

Set up with forearms vertical and elbows slightly in front of the bar, not under or behind it.
Press the bar close to your face so your shoulders keep raising the arms forward and up.
Lower it to your collarbones over two to three seconds.

Seated dumbbell press

Dumbbells

The backrest removes leg drive and arching, so your shoulders do the work. Dumbbells let you keep your elbows a little in front of your torso, an angle that typically loads the front delts more than elbows flared straight out. Use it after barbell pressing, or instead of it when your lower back is tired.

Set the backrest to 75–90°, pin your shoulder blades and hips to the pad, and plant your feet.
Press along a slightly converging path with vertical forearms and elbows ahead of your shoulders.
Lower to ear level slower than you lift and start the next rep without resting.

Incline dumbbell press

Dumbbells

It is filed under upper chest, yet the front delt is a prime mover here too, and its share grows as the bench gets steeper. Your shoulders get heavy loading and a deep stretch. If incline pressing is already in your plan, count it as front delt volume rather than adding more.

Use an incline closer to 45° than 30°; a steeper bench makes the press more like a forward arm raise.
Keep your elbows about 45° from your torso instead of flaring them straight out.
Pause briefly in the stretch, then drive the dumbbells up and slightly toward each other.

Arnold press

Dumbbells

The twist starts each rep with palms facing you and elbows in front, so the first part is basically a loaded front raise. That gives the front delt a longer range than a regular dumbbell press, and the side delts join in as your hands turn out. Loads are lighter, so use it second or third.

Start with the dumbbells at chin height and elbows together in front of your chest, the front delts' longest stretch.
Drive the elbows forward and up for the first third of the rep, then smoothly turn your palms out.
Lower along the same path, bringing the elbows back in front of your chest.

Front raise

Dumbbells

The only move here where the front delt works almost alone: no triceps, and the upper chest only assists. It adds volume without stressing your elbows and helps a lagging front delt catch up. If your week already has plenty of pressing, this is the first exercise to drop.

Pick a weight you can lift without rocking your torso; it is usually lighter than you expect.
Raise the dumbbells straight ahead or slightly inward, palms down or facing each other, whatever suits your shoulders.
Hold a second at shoulder height, then lower over a three-count.

Front delt workout: sample session

Run this on shoulder day or at the start of a push day, but not right after heavy benching, when your front delts are already tired. Once a week is enough if chest gets its own day. Warm up with two or three sets at 40–70% of your working weight, and leave 1–2 reps in the tank on every set.

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Overhead press main mover: every set counts in full	4 × 8–12	105 s
Incline dumbbell press main mover: every set counts in full	3 × 6–10	150 s
Front raise main mover: every set counts in full	2 × 10–15	75 s

Counted for this muscle: 9 sets per session — the same way the GymAssist log counts it.

Use double progression. On the Overhead press, keep the weight until all four sets hit 12 reps, then add 5 lb and drop back to 8. Run the Incline dumbbell press from 6 to 10 reps and the Front raise from 10 to 15 the same way. This session counts 9 front delt sets; if you incline press on chest day, cut it here.

Common mistakes

Piling front raises on top of pressing. Your front delts already work in every flat, incline and overhead press. Add four to six sets of raises and they often stop recovering. If a shoulder hurts, cut the weight and range; if pain persists, see a doctor.
Leaning back on overhead presses. Arching turns the Overhead press into a steep incline press: the work shifts to your upper chest and your lower back takes load it doesn't need. Brace your abs and glutes, or drop the weight and switch to the Seated dumbbell press.
Flaring the elbows straight out. With elbows in line with your shoulders, the side delts take a bigger share and many shoulders feel cramped. Bring the elbows 20–30° forward of your torso so the press becomes more like a forward arm raise, the front delt's main job.
Swinging on front raises. Momentum throws the dumbbells up, and the front delt only works the bottom third of the rep. Stand against a wall, or raise one arm at a time while holding a support. Can't reach shoulder height without a heave? Go lighter.

Exercises where it is the main mover

Incline bench press Barbell Seated dumbbell press Dumbbells Incline dumbbell press Dumbbells Overhead press Barbell Arnold press Dumbbells Front raise Dumbbells

Exercises where it assists

Bench press Barbell Dumbbell fly Dumbbells Dumbbell lateral raise Dumbbells Dumbbell bench press Dumbbells Push-ups Bodyweight Cable crossover Cable Pec deck Machine Seated chest press Machine Close-grip push-ups Bodyweight Bench dips Bodyweight Burpees Bodyweight

Weekly sets in ready-made programs

A set where the muscle is primary counts in full, a set where it assists counts as half — the same way the log’s stats count it.

Frequently asked questions

How do you grow your front delts?

Press overhead and count all your pressing. Build around the Overhead press or the Seated dumbbell press twice a week, 3–4 sets of 6–12 reps with 1–2 reps in reserve. Incline pressing for chest adds more front delt work. Isolation only matters if your front delts lag; growth comes from adding weight or reps over time.

Do you need to train front delts directly?

Usually not, if your program already has bench and overhead pressing. The front delts work in every press, so four or five pressing exercises a week often give them more volume than the side or rear delts get. Add direct front raises only when you press little or your front delts clearly lag.

How many sets a week for front delts?

Most people need only 4–8 direct sets a week if they bench and incline press regularly. Count honestly: every press where the front delt is a prime mover is a full set. Ready-made programs give them from 4.5 weekly sets in the two-day full-body plan to 15 in the five-day split.

What is the difference between front and side delts?

The front delt starts on the collarbone and raises the arm forward; the side delt starts on the acromion and raises the arm out to the side. Overhead presses train both, while flat benching mostly hits the front. Shoulder width depends more on the side delts, so shift extra volume there once your fronts are strong.

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