ASK MR. O.
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
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