How to Shock Your Front Deltoids

If the front deltoid is a muscle that is sufficiently targeted in several mass-building exercises such as the bench press and shoulder press, then why do you still see people at the gym performing front dumbbell raises? Simple. It can be beneficial to target a specific and smaller area with exercises not in your normal routine from time to time. This trick will recruit more muscle fibers and force growth in the muscle, in addition to helping overcome any plateaus you may have with compound exercises. Here, we look at various exercises that will shock your front deltoids.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Dumbbells
• Stability ball
• Barbell
• Bench

1. Do Arnold presses. Created by the Austrian Oak himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Arnold press uses a unique motion (different than the conventional dumbbell raise) to work the front deltoid like no other shoulder exercise. Sit or stand and grab a dumbbell in each hand. Raise the weights with your palms inward at shoulder level. Lift the dumbbells overhead and rotate your thumb-side in so that your palms are facing out at the top. Lower and repeat.
2. Try seated ball front raises. This not only works your front deltoids, but also strengthens your core, as well. Position yourself on a stability ball with your back straight and abdomen tight. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arm to shoulder level. Squeeze for a count of one. Lower and repeat.
3. Push press. Grab a barbell and rest it across your upper chest. Hold in place with your hands shoulder-width apart using an overhand grip. Bend your knees between six to eight inches and drive upwards, pushing the barbell up in one quick motion to elbow lockout. Lower and repeat.
4. Do incline front raises. Set a bench at a 45 degree angle and lie face down. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang down. You should feel the stretch in your shoulders. Now raise your arms forward until they are shoulder height and parallel to the floor. Squeeze for a count of one. Lower and repeat.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, the front deltoid is targeted in many compound exercises, so supplement only one or two of these into your plan at a time. However, play with the order, weight used, and type of exercise. This will keep your front deltoids completely shocked and ready to grow.