Anterior Deltoid

The anterior deltoid is probably the shoulder head that gets the most work, often even too much. Every time you do a bench press, a push-up, a military press, or a front raise, the anterior delt works. It's significantly involved in all pressing movements, both vertical and horizontal. For this reason, in many training programs it's already stimulated enough without dedicated isolation exercises.

The exercises that hit it directly are front raises with dumbbells, barbell, or cables, and overhead presses in all variations: front press, military press, machine shoulder press. The incline bench also shifts emphasis from the chest to the anterior delt as the angle increases. At 60-70 degrees of incline, the anterior deltoid becomes the primary mover.

If you already do flat bench, incline bench, and shoulder press in your week, the anterior deltoid is getting plenty of work. Adding front raises risks being useless volume that steals from your recovery. Focus your shoulder isolation work on the lateral and posterior heads, which are the ones that typically lag behind. A strong anterior delt is fundamental for shoulder stability on heavy presses.