Isolated Anterior Deltoid Exercises

Warmup

• Don't underestimate the importance of a thorough warmup up before performing anterior deltoid exercises. Warming up elevates your heart rate, increases blood flow and raises your core temperature. Your joints loosen up, and your muscles work more efficiently with reduced risk of injury. Do 10 minutes on the elliptical machine or rowing machine to raise your core temperature and loosen up your shoulders. Alternatively, do a 10-minute gentle run on the treadmill or 10 minutes on the stationary bike followed by dynamic stretches such as side bends, hip twists and shoulder circles.

Considerations

• The shoulder joint is capable of a wide range of motion, which makes it inherently unstable. The three heads of the deltoids -- the anterior deltoids, medial deltoids and posterior deltoids-- work together to help stabilize your shoulder joints. To ensure your shoulders remain stable and to reduce the risk of injury, you should exercise all three heads of your deltoids and not focus solely on your anterior deltoids.

Compound Shoulder Exercises

• Compound shoulder exercises such as the military press, dumbbell press and seated shoulder press work all three heads of your deltoids, strengthening your shoulders and improving shoulder stability. In a 2007 article, strength-training coach Christian Thibaudeau says these exercises engage your anterior deltoids more than your medial or posterior deltoids. The Arnold press, also known as the deep swimmers press, is another compound pressing exercise that emphasizes your anterior deltoids.

Isolation Exercises

• Thibaudeau says isolation exercises for your anterior deltoids are rarely needed, as your anterior delts get a lot of stimulation from other shoulder exercises. But exercises that isolate your anterior deltoids may help you improve performance in activities such as swimming and in racket sports such as tennis, squash and badminton. Princeton University Athletic Medicine also notes that isolation anterior deltoid exercises are an integral part of a rehabilitation program after shoulder injury.

Variations

• Your anterior deltoids flex and lift your arms forward. Exercises that mimic this movement isolate the front deltoids. The main isolation exercise for the front deltoids is the front raise. The exercise can be performed with barbells, dumbbells or with a cable. To perform the barbell front raise, adopt hip-width stance and grasp a barbell with shoulder-width overhand grip. Hold the barbell in front of your thighs and with elbows slightly bent, lift the barbell forward until it is at eye-level. To perform a cable front raise, grasp the bar attached to the cable. Dumbbell front raises allow you to work your anterior deltoids unilaterally.

Other Exercises

• Your anterior deltoids kick in strongly when you perform strength-training exercises for your chest. These include compound, multijoint resistance exercises such as the barbell and dumbbell bench press and the seated chest press. Isolation exercises for the chest such as dumbbell, machine and cable flies also engage your anterior deltoids. Body weight exercises such as pushups and bar dips also give your anterior deltoids a thorough workout.

Cooldown

• Gentle static stretches as a cooldown after anterior deltoid exercises help you maintain flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. Stand facing the corner between a door and the wall. Raise your arms, placing one on the wall, and the other on the door. With your upper arms parallel to the floor, lean forward until you feel a stretch across the front of your shoulders and your chest. Hold the stretch for a slow count of 10. For another stretch, place your hands on your hips, pull your shoulders back and thrust out your chest. You should feel a gentle stretch across your chest and anterior delts. Hold the position for a slow count of 10.