What Kind of Pull Ups Work the Front Deltoids?

If you want to get stronger and increase lean muscle tissue on your arms and upper back, add pullups to your workout program. Pullups, however, do not work your front deltoids. To target your front, or anterior, deltoids include overhead pressing movements such as the military press or dumbbell shoulder press in your routine.

  1. About Pullups

    • The pullup is a challenging exercise as it involves balancing your entire body-weight on your arms and moving your body through space. An exercise that entails moving your body toward a fixed object -- the pullup bar in this instance -- is called a closed-chain exercise. According to fitness trainer John Romaniello, writing for Schwarzenegger.com, closed-chain exercises like pullups require the coordination of different muscle groups while your core muscles work to stabilize your body. Your body adapts to these demands by getting stronger.

    Muscles Worked

    • Traditional pullups with a shoulder-width overhand grip -- palms facing away -- work the array of muscles on your upper back. Some of these include your latissimus dorsi or lats and rhomboids, together with your mid and lower trapezius. Other muscles worked include your rear deltoids and biceps. Shifting to either a neutral palms-parallel grip or palms-facing grip emphasize your biceps. A palms-facing grip is also called a chinup.

    Assisted Pullups

    • Pullups are notoriously difficult. If you cannot do full pullups, do assisted pullups by placing your feet on a chair or bench and pushing off with your legs to assist your upward movement. Alternatively, do inverted pullups on a bar set at roughly waist-height. Lying face-up under the bar with your legs extended in front of you and your heels on the floor, grasp the bar with a palms-facing underhand grip. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. These easier versions of the pullup work your upper back, rear deltoids and biceps.

    Front Deltoids

    • Your shoulders consist of your front, side and rear deltoids. Compound shoulder exercises involving movement of more than one joint work both front and side deltoids. These include seated machine shoulder presses as well as barbell and dumbbell overhead presses. Body-weight exercises such as pushups and bar-dips also work your front deltoids. These multi-joint exercises also engage your triceps. To isolate your front deltoids do front raises. Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, and alternately raise each dumbbell to eye-level.