I can't get my front delts to grow. Should I
concentrate on front raises to pack some size onto my
shoulders?
Massive front delts do not come solely from your
shoulder workout; they come also as a result of your
chest workout. That may surprise you, since your front
delts are part of your shoulder complex. However, your
anterior deltoid heads, which are your front delts,
work at 90 degrees from your lateral deltoid heads, so
their function is totally different from other muscles
in your deltoid group.
The fact that one muscle group benefits from the
workout of another should come as no shock. For nearly
every exercise you do, you can feel ancillary and
stabilising muscles from remote areas coming to the
aid of the target muscles. You need to understand this
concept as it applies to your front delts. For
instance, front dumbbell raises have a purpose, but
not as a mass-building exercise. They isolate the
front heads, so you can burn in striations and make
them stand out distinctly from the lateral heads and
other muscles in the area. To make the front heads
bigger, rounder and fuller, you need to train them
with a movement that applies more compound power.
Start your shoulder workout with heavy presses of some
sort and bump front dumbbell raises to number three or
four in your exercise order. You will still receive
full benefit from the front raises, but they will no
longer sap your shoulder strength from the more
important mass builders.
To prioritise anterior deltoid head mass, see the
training split and workouts I recommend. Stick to this
programme for a couple of months, use good form and
the gains will come.
By Ronnie Coleman
2006 (c) creditplushealth.com
Credit Plus Health By Sean Toh All rights reserved.