21 Best Front Delt Exercises To Build Boulder Shoulders

1. Barbell Overhead Press (a.k.a the military press)

This compound exercise involves pressing a barbell from shoulder height to above your head. It works your anterior deltoids, upper chest, triceps, upper traps, and serratus anterior.

I’d also argue it places a lot of stress on your core as your body needs to remain stable throughout the movement.

Your rear delts act as stabilizer muscles during this exercise, so it’s easy to see why I rate it so highly when it comes to developing your shoulder muscles.

You can perform barbell shoulder presses standing, seated, or use the Smith machine.

Standing is my favorite, but if you have lower back issues, it could be a good idea to sit down as it'll limit the pressure on your back.

See Related - 10 Overhead Press Variations To Try

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Always perform the barbell shoulder press (military press) first, as it expends a large amount of energy, and you’ll get the most out of it when you’re fresh.

2. Dumbbell Overhead Press

The dumbbell press is similar to the barbell press, except you’re using dumbbells rather than a barbell (obviously).

By switching to dumbbells, your shoulders and arms have to work isolaterally, meaning there's less chance of you developing a muscular imbalance that can occur from barbell work.

Another benefit of using dumbbells during this overhead press movement is that your shoulders need to work extra hard to stabilize your joints.

I’m a massive fan of using dumbbells as I’ve sometimes developed imbalances in the past, and dumbbells always help correct the issue.

Plus, you get a slightly better range of motion during each rep, allowing you to work your muscles effectively.

However, as you're using dumbbells, you usually can't lift as heavy as you would during a barbell overhead press. This is mainly because each arm works a little harder to stabilize the dumbbells.

A dumbbell overhead press could be a good option if you've had shoulder issues, as you can adjust the grip position (e.g., to a neutral grip) to suit your body. This may be more comfortable.

As with the above, you can perform this exercise in a seated or standing position. The seated position will be best if you have lower back issues.

Also Check Out - Dumbbell Vs Barbell Shoulder Press

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Perform both Barbell and dumbbell overhead press during your shoulder workout to get the benefits of both.

3. Arnold Press

Named and created by the legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, this overhead press exercise is one of the best front delt exercises you can add to your workout routine.

Not only does this variation of the shoulder press work your anterior deltoids, but it works all three heads. It’ll help you add shoulder width while increasing the stability of your shoulder joint.

I regularly add the Arnold press to my shoulder workout as it gives me the best bang for my buck.

Hitting each part of the delts in one exercise makes it the best shoulder press variation to add to your workout if you’re in a hurry.

As with the other shoulder press exercises mentioned above, you can perform the Arnold press from a seated or standing position.

The standing position relies on greater core activation, while the seated removes any pressure from your lower back.

Arnold Schwarzenegger classed this as one of the best front delt exercises for mass, and if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for all of us.

However, if you’re new to weight lifting, you might find the coordination of the Arnold press a challenge; perhaps start on another shoulder press movement and progress to this.

Related Article - Arnold Press Vs Shoulder Press

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: If you’re in a seated position, use an incline bench (just below 90 degrees) to make the movement easier on your shoulder joints.

4. Front Raises

Front raises are one of the “go-to” exercises you’ll see gym-goers performing when they want to target their front delts.

As far as front delt exercises go, this is as isolated as you can get.

While this movement virtually isolates your anterior deltoid (front deltoid), it does use a small amount of your upper pec, which is needed for shoulder flexion.

When performing this front deltoid exercise, there are numerous grip, body, and loading positions you can try making it extremely versatile.

One of my favorite versions of the dumbbell front raise is the standard single-arm alternating version (which I'll show you how to do in a moment).

I like this variant as it works your core muscles, too, and is easy to perform from a seated position if you've got back issues.

If you're looking for more isolation exercises like this one, check out our guide to the best front raise alternative exercises.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: If you want to target your anterior deltoids, you should keep the weight low and focus on performing quality reps. Trust me; your front delts will thank me.

Bonus Tip: Use a cable machine to provide constant tension on your front delts.

5. Z-Press

Named after the legendary strongman Žydrūnas Savickas aka "Big Z," this is one of the toughest front delt exercises on this list. If you're a beginner, I recommend you skip this one.

The Z-press is a challenging overhead pressing exercise that will help stimulate muscle growth in your front delt muscles.

This exercise is performed sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you.

This position removes your legs from the equation, meaning you can’t “cheat” by using your legs to push the weight up.

Your core also has to work incredibly hard to stabilize your lower back.

If you’ve got any back issues, this isn’t one of the best anterior deltoid exercises for you, and you should choose another on this list.

You can perform this movement using dumbbells, barbell, and kettlebells.

Read Also - Best Dumbbell Shoulder Workouts

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Perform this front delts movement inside a squat rack or power rack. If you fail, you can use the safety spotter arms to catch the weight, making your set-up position easier.

6. Push-Press

The push-press is one of the best front delt exercises for overloading the front delts with more load than they can usually handle.

You rely on the power generated in your legs to assist you with the weight.

It’s one of the classic barbell shoulder exercises and can be performed using dumbbells or kettlebells.

While some lifters might view this movement as cheating, it's a great way of increasing the weight you can lift or pushing yourself past failure.

However, I highly recommend that you control the weight on the way back down to maximize the deltoid engagement during each rep.

If used correctly, it can be one of the most effective delt exercises for increasing overall deltoid muscle.

See Also - Overhead Press Vs Push Press: Which Is Better?

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Take a deep breath at the bottom of the movement and breathe out on the push. Regulating your breathing will make you more efficient.

7. Shoulder Press (Machine)

While most of the exercises on this list are free weight exercises for your front delts, I felt it was necessary to mention the shoulder press machine.

The shoulder press machine simulates the movement you'd perform when you do an overhead press.

However, the machine's fixed movement pattern places all of your force on the pushing movement rather than needing to stabilize your shoulders, etc.

This is one of the best ways to train your front delts if you’re a beginner.

I often use the shoulder press machine to build up my client’s strength before moving them onto front delt exercises with dumbbells.

Typically the shoulder press machine will be seated, but I’ve used a few old-school machines, which are standing shoulder press machines, and they’re excellent.

Either way, it’s one of my favorite front deltoid exercises.

Plus, you’ll be happy to know it’s much easier to perform than some of the free-weight compound exercises on this list.

As it's a fixed machine, though, it forces your body to move through a set movement pattern. This might be an issue if you have joint or mobility problems.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: I recommend stopping before your arms lock to keep the tension on your front delts.

8. Cable Front Raise

When it comes to cable front delt exercises, the cable front raise is one of the best.

As with the dumbbell front raise, it isolates the front delts as best as possible, allowing you to focus on working that area without worrying about other parts of the body.

With the cable front raise, the cable creates constant tension, so your front delts have to work equally as hard throughout the whole movement.

Cables exercises are brilliant for shoulder work and should be incorporated more into workouts.

Some of my clients find using cables to be more comfortable, and they place less strain on their joints.

If you work out alone, you can train your deltoids to failure without worrying about being in danger. So long as you use cables responsibly, you shouldn’t have any safety concerns.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Don’t go too heavy; focus on feeling your front delt working through the entire movement. You’ll get better results by lifting low and slow on this exercise. 

Oh, and a word of warning… this one really burns.

9. Upright Row

The upright row has long been one of the staple anterior deltoid exercises for many gym-goers.

Upright rows work your anterior delts, upper back, and traps. They’re an excellent exercise to develop all-around shoulder mass to fill out your t-shirt.

However, it's an advanced movement that should only be performed by experienced gym-goers as it can cause or aggravate issues such as shoulder impingements.

This is mainly because of the rotational movement that occurs during the exercise; it can place a lot of strain on the shoulder joint.

While the above isn’t typical for everyone, it’s something you should be well aware of.

In the past, I've had elbow and wrist issues which have prevented me from performing this exercise, but I was using an EZ bar here.

You can limit this risk by placing your hands no further than shoulder-width apart. Another way to reduce impingement during upright rows is to ensure your elbows are higher than your wrists.

This exercise can be performed using barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, and the Smith machine.

If this movement causes you any pain, don't continue to try it. Check out our list of the best upright row substitute exercises instead.

How to do it:

10. Bus Drivers

Bus drivers are one of the most simple but effective anterior delt exercises on this list.

The movement works your front delts and your core muscles. It’s kind of like the static hold version of the front raise…but at the same time, it’s not (hear me out on this one).

You don’t need to go too heavy with this one, and you should feel a deep burn and get an insane pump, which will have you ending your workout feeling like the Hulk.

Once you’ve performed this isolation exercise, you’ll understand why it’s called the bus driver.

There isn’t much else to say about this exercise other than try it out, so let’s get to the good part.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Use this movement as a finisher at the end of your shoulder workout.

11. Pike Push-Up

No gym? Don’t worry about it. You can use the pike push-up to give your front delts the stimulus they need to grow.

The pike push-up is like a cross between the regular push-up and handstand push-ups.

The exercise places a lot of force on your front delts and can be a fairly tough challenge, even for experienced gym-goers.

One of the biggest benefits of this exercise is that you can do it anywhere, whether in a hotel room, office, beach, or at home. You don't need much space at all and no equipment is necessary.

However, if you want to perform pike push-ups, I recommend elevating your feet on a bench or bed.

This places your body in the pike position more easily, although it puts a little more pressure on your deltoids.

You can also elevate your hands on blocks to give your head space to move into and increase the effective range of motion your delts work through.

You can also use push up bars to do this exercise.

How to do it:

12. Shrugs

While you’ll usually associate this exercise with working your traps, shrugs are a brilliant way to strengthen your deltoids.

You can perform shrugs using almost any weight gym equipment, but in this instance, I recommend using the Smith machine as it’s suitable for beginners and more advanced lifters.

The best part about doing exercises on a Smith machine is that you can safely rack and unrack the barbell without needing a spotter or worrying about failing.

It also moves along a linear path so that you can emphasize the loading on your traps and front delts.

How to do it:

13. Hammer Press

The hammer press is a shoulder-friendly version of the regular shoulder press movement.

It places your hands in a neutral position, alleviating the strain on your shoulders; you'll find it more comfortable if you have shoulder issues.

During the hammer press, your front delt does the majority of the work, but your entire shoulder, triceps, and upper chest assist the movement.

For the hammer press, you can use a variety of bench positions, ranging from flat bench to incline press.

Still, I prefer using a position just below 90 degrees as it removes the strain from your shoulders, but the main muscle worked is your anterior deltoids.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: You can increase the difficulty slightly by alternating the pressing movement. By doing so, your core and stabilizers will need to work extra hard.

14. Incline Bench Press

A chest exercise for building your shoulders? Yep, you better believe it.

The incline bench press is actually a brilliant exercise for your front delts. While it builds your upper chest, it will also help to develop your anterior deltoid muscles.

It all depends on the incline of the bench. The higher the incline, the more anterior deltoid you'll be working and the less upper pec.

As the incline press is dependent on the starting position, you should set your bench press somewhere between the position you'd use for a seated shoulder press (around 80-90 degrees) and the position you'd use for the incline dumbbell press (30-45 degrees).

You can use dumbbells, barbells, and resistance bands for this front deltoid movement, making it perfect for home gym training.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Take your time with this anterior deltoid exercise and focus on quality reps.

15. Handstand Push-Up

Want to grow your front delts while performing one of the most impressive-looking front delt exercises? - You need to do the handstand push-up.

The handstand push-up is one of my favorite front delt exercises as it’s basically a push-up for your shoulders. And it makes you look pretty strong when you’re doing these in the gym.

However, as far as front delt exercises go, it’s one of the toughest to perform. - Why? Well, handstands are hard, and performing a push-up in this position is even tougher.

I highly recommend that beginners skip this exercise altogether and develop your front deltoids using other shoulder exercises on this list.

If you feel you must add this to your workout, keep the reps or time low and build up. There's no rushing this movement.

However, please remember that if you weigh 200lbs, you’re pressing 200lbs… So it’s definitely a challenge for even the most experienced gym-goers.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Place your hands on two separate blocks with a space between them (for your head). The elevated hand position should give you a greater range of motion.

16. Battle Rope Alternating Slam

The battle rope is often used during conditioning circuits or by athletes looking to add a “finisher” to their workout.

However, it’s one of the best shoulder exercises for building your anterior deltoid.

Outside of conditioning, this upper body exercise helps you develop hypertrophy and endurance in your front deltoids.

It's an excellent exercise to add to your routine as it steps away from the traditional overhead presses, front raises, etc., while bringing something else to the table.

There are many variations of the battle rope slam, which can be adjusted to change the loading pattern, and the muscles targeted.

It’s a surefire way to fully exhaust your delts at the end of your workout.

Also Check Out - 20 Intense Battle Rope Workouts

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: You can perform this anterior deltoid exercise for reps or time. Play around with it and see how it feels.

17. Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings are for the glutes, right? - They sure are. But they can help you develop your deltoid muscle too.

While most people use the kettlebell swing for “calorie burning” circuits and conditioning, you can add them to your front delt workout to add a bit of variation.

Traditionally, I’d tell you kettlebell swings are all in the hips, but you can modify the movement to make it more of a front raise (of sorts).

If you're wondering where to place this exercise in your front delt workout, you can always insert it at the end.

I'd use this movement to blast your delts and get every muscle fiber fired up.

See Also - Benefits of Kettlebell Swings

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Slow the descent of this movement to really hone in on the front delt activation, it’ll burn like hell, but your shoulders will thank you for it.

18. Bradford Press

The Bradford press is an old-school bodybuilding shoulder movement that keeps constant tension on your front delts.

Honestly, this exercise is a killer; I'll never forget the burn from the first time I performed this delt exercise.

However, I do need to insert a warning with this movement.

While it’s a brilliant delt exercise to add to your workout routine, it’s performed partially behind your neck, which could be an issue if you have shoulder mobility problems.

If you have healthy and mobile shoulders, this could be the perfect exercise for front delt muscle activation.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Start light and maybe consider adding this to the end of your pressing exercises in order to burn out your front delt.

19. Chest Dips

Chest dips are another bodyweight exercise that works your anterior deltoid.

Traditionally, this movement is classed as a chest and tricep exercise, but it also uses your shoulders to help stabilize your body.

A study showed that this movement recruits 41% of your anterior deltoids.[1]

I love performing dips as they’re a challenge. And you can progress and regress them relatively easily. You can add weight to your body using a dipping belt to make it more challenging.

To make the exercise easier, you can use a resistance band to remove some of your body’s weight.

Overall, it’s one of my favorite unconventional front delt exercises for developing boulder-like front delts.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Leaning forward increases the amount of work your chest and front delts do.

20. One-Arm Kneeling Landmine Press

The landmine press is a nice isolateral variation of shoulder pressing, but it uses the landmine attachment, which is anchored to the floor.

This exercise differs from the other overhead presses on this list as it works one side at a time.

Doing so causes your body’s core to work overtime and helps you develop better shoulder stability.

I like this movement as it’s simple to perform on your own and can be done safely without a spotter.

This upper body exercise is usually performed in half kneeling position, which increases the difficulty slightly, but that’s ok as you don’t need to lift super heavy to work your delts effectively.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Try this movement out if you’ve been having front deltoid pain during other pressing movements. The angle of the press might not aggravate your joints.

21. Regular Push-Ups

Last but not least, you’ve got the regular push-up.

While this exercise generally works your chest and triceps, it works your shoulders, too (particularly your front delts). And works pretty much your entire body to stabilize your position.

As with the pike push-up, this exercise is perfect if you want to work out on the move or have no equipment.

You can build up a quality workout based on push-up variations, and I can almost guarantee you'll be sore the next day.

Regular push-ups are suitable for all ranges of ability and can be adjusted to become easier or harder depending on what you need.

Related Article - Dips Vs Push Ups

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Make the movement more challenging by elevating your feet. And make it easier by elevating your hands or placing your knees on the floor.