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Exercises

Exercises for front delts: overhead, incline and landmine presses

Published October 29, 2026

The front delts lift your arm forward and do a large share of every press, so pressing builds them more than any raise. The best exercises are the barbell or dumbbell overhead press, the Arnold press, the incline bench press, the landmine press and pike push-ups, with dumbbell or plate front raises as a light finisher. If you already bench and overhead press each week, 2 to 4 extra front raise sets are plenty; if the front delts are behind, put an overhead press first in two sessions a week and stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure.

  1. Barbell Overhead Press Shoulders
  2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press Shoulders
  3. Arnold Press Shoulders
  4. Incline Dumbbell Press Chest
  5. Landmine Press Shoulders
  6. Dumbbell Front Raise Shoulders

Overhead presses

Pressing straight up makes the front delts the main mover, with the chest barely helping. Use one as the first lift of a shoulder day and keep the bar or dumbbells moving in front of your face, not behind it.

Front delts, heavy standing press

Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

The heaviest press where the front delts do most of the work, with your whole body bracing under it. Strength gained here carries into every other press on this page.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at collarbone height and grip it just outside your shoulders, wrists stacked over your elbows.
  2. Unrack it onto your upper chest, take one step back and set your feet about hip width apart.
  3. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs so your ribs stay down, and take a big breath.
  4. Press straight up, pulling your chin back so the bar clears your face.
  5. Once the bar passes your forehead, push your head through until the bar sits over the middle of your foot with your arms locked.
  6. Lower it along the same line to your upper chest and re-brace before the next rep.

Cues

  • Glutes tight, ribs down
  • Chin back, bar straight up
  • Head through at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish reps, which turns the lift into an incline press: lower the weight until your torso stays vertical for the whole set.
  • Pressing the bar forward around your face: pull your chin back and keep the bar close enough to brush your nose.
  • Stopping short of lockout: finish every rep with the bar over your mid-foot and your arms straight, or the rep doesn't count in your log.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Landmine Press, Machine Shoulder Press

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Front delts, seated dumbbell press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Sitting against a backrest takes your legs and lower back out of it, so the shoulders do the work. Dumbbells also let each arm press in its own groove.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright or one notch back from vertical, sit with your feet flat, and rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick one knee up at a time to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, then set your back against the pad.
  3. Turn your elbows slightly forward so they sit a little in front of your torso, palms facing forward or angled in.
  4. Drive both weights overhead on a slight inward arc until your elbows are straight, keeping your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  5. Lower slowly until the dumbbells are around ear height or a bit below, then press again.

Cues

  • Ribs down, back on the pad
  • Elbows a little forward
  • Press up and slightly in

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so lighten the weight and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out at shoulder height: bring them a little forward so the shoulder joint stays comfortable at the bottom.
  • Stopping each rep well above your ears: lower to around ear height so the delts work through a full range.

Swap for: Arnold Press, Machine Shoulder Press, Barbell Overhead Press

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Front delts, rotating press

Arnold Press

Shoulders

Starting with the palms facing you puts the front delts under load at the very bottom, before the press begins. Use moderate weights; the rotation is the point.

How to do it

  1. Sit on a bench or chair with your back supported, two dumbbells held at chin height, palms facing you and elbows in front.
  2. Press the dumbbells up while turning your palms to face forward, so they finish forward at the top.
  3. Straighten your arms overhead without letting the dumbbells clang together.
  4. Lower slowly, turning your palms back toward you as the dumbbells return to chin height.

Cues

  • Turn and press in one motion
  • Ribs down, back against the pad
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back to get the weights up: brace your stomach and pick lighter dumbbells.
  • Turning the palms only at the very top: start rotating as soon as the press begins.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Band Overhead Press

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Front delts, machine press

Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

A fixed path lets you take the last sets close to failure without a spotter. Good as the second press of the day or the main one when you train alone.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the handles start at about shoulder height.
  2. Sit with your back flat against the pad, feet planted, and grip the handles.
  3. Press up until your arms are nearly straight overhead.
  4. Lower the handles back to shoulder height under control and press again.

Cues

  • Back stays on the pad
  • Press up, not forward
  • Control the way down

Common mistakes

  • Arching hard off the backrest to finish a rep: lighten the stack and keep your ribs down.
  • Cutting the rep short at the top: finish each press with your arms almost fully straight.
  • Letting the stack rest between reps: stop the handles just above it so your shoulders stay loaded.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Smith Machine Shoulder Press, Landmine Press

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Front delts and triceps, bodyweight press

Pike Push-Up

Shoulders

With your hips high, a push-up turns into an overhead press with bodyweight. Raise your feet on a box as it gets easier.

How to do it

  1. Start in a push-up position with your hands a bit wider than your shoulders and fingers spread.
  2. Walk your feet toward your hands and raise your hips until your body forms an upside-down V, with your weight leaning over your hands.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward a point a few inches in front of your hands, so your head and hands form a triangle.
  4. Bend your elbows out to the sides and stop when your head lightly touches the floor or just above it.
  5. Press the floor away and straighten your arms, pushing your hips back up to the V.

Cues

  • Hips stay high
  • Head forward of hands
  • Push the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop as you lower: that turns it back into a regular push-up; keep the hips stacked over your shoulders as much as you can.
  • Lowering your head straight between your hands: aim slightly forward so your forearms stay close to vertical.
  • Cutting the range short: lower until your head is near the floor, using a yoga block or book as a target if you need one.

Swap for: Handstand Push-Up, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Push-Up

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Incline and landmine presses

A steep incline or an angled landmine press works the front delts with the chest helping, and both are easier on the shoulder than pressing straight overhead.

Upper chest and front delts, incline press

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Chest

The incline bench puts the front delts to work alongside the upper chest under a heavy bar. A bench set a notch steeper than you use for chest shifts more of it to the shoulders.

How to do it

  1. Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie back with your eyes under the bar.
  2. Pinch your shoulder blades back, plant your feet and unrack the bar with a grip a bit outside shoulder width.
  3. Lower the bar to your upper chest, just below your collarbones.
  4. Press it straight up until your arms lock, keeping your chest high.

Cues

  • Bar to the collarbones
  • Chest up to meet the bar
  • Lower angle if your shoulders take over

Common mistakes

  • Setting the bench too steep, which turns it into a shoulder press: 30 degrees is plenty for most people.
  • Bringing the bar down to your mid chest as on a flat bench: on an incline it belongs higher.

Swap for: Incline Dumbbell Press, Smith Machine Incline Press, Machine Incline Press

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Front delts and upper chest, dumbbell incline

Incline Dumbbell Press

Chest

The dumbbell version lets the arms come down deep and press in a natural path. A useful second press on a shoulder day or the main press on an upper day.

How to do it

  1. Set the backrest to about 30 to 45 degrees and sit with the dumbbells on your thighs.
  2. Lean back and bring the weights to the outside of your shoulders as your back meets the pad.
  3. Squeeze your shoulder blades back and keep your hips on the seat.
  4. Press up and slightly in until your arms are straight over your upper chest.
  5. Lower under control until your elbows are just below the bench line.

Cues

  • Low incline, not a shoulder press
  • Wrists stacked over elbows
  • Touch the stretch, then press

Common mistakes

  • Setting the bench steeper than about 45 degrees: the front delts take over. Drop it a notch if you mostly feel your shoulders.
  • Lifting your hips off the seat to finish a rep: that turns it back into a flat press.

Swap for: Single-Arm Incline Dumbbell Press, Incline Dumbbell Squeeze Press, Incline Barbell Bench Press

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Front delts, angled press

Landmine Press

Shoulders

The bar moves up and forward in an arc, so your arm never goes fully overhead. It is the press to use when overhead work bothers your shoulders.

How to do it

  1. Wedge one end of an empty barbell into a landmine or a corner, and load the free end with plates.
  2. Stand facing the loaded end, feet about shoulder width, and lift the end of the bar to your upper chest.
  3. Wrap both hands around the sleeve end, elbows under the bar and close to your ribs.
  4. Squeeze your glutes and keep your ribs down, then press the bar up and forward along its arc until your arms are straight.
  5. Let your shoulder blades reach forward at the top, then lower under control until the bar is back at your chest.

Cues

  • Both hands on the sleeve
  • Press where the bar wants to go
  • Ribs down, glutes tight

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish the rep: if your chest tips back as the set goes on, take a plate off and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Pushing straight up against the arc: the bar is fixed at the floor, so aim up and forward and let it travel its own path.
  • Elbows flaring out wide: keep them under the bar so the press stays in line with your shoulders.

Swap for: Incline Dumbbell Press, Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Machine Shoulder Press

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Front raises

Raises isolate the front delts with a light weight. Treat them as finishers for 10 to 15 reps after your pressing, and stop at shoulder height.

Front delts, isolation raise

Dumbbell Front Raise

Shoulders

The direct front delt exercise. Lift to shoulder height and lower slowly; going higher brings in the traps without adding much for the delts.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the dumbbells resting against your thighs, palms facing your legs.
  2. Keep a soft bend in the elbows and lift the dumbbells forward.
  3. Stop when your arms are level with your shoulders.
  4. Lower slowly back to your thighs.

Cues

  • Shoulder height
  • Soft elbows
  • No swing

Common mistakes

  • Rocking the hips to start the rep: the front delt should start every rep from a dead hang.
  • Raising above the head: past shoulder height the traps take over.

Swap for: Cable Front Raise, Plate Front Raise

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Front delts, plate raise

Plate Front Raise

Shoulders

One plate held in both hands is easy to control and needs no rack of dumbbells. A good finisher at the end of a home or gym session.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall and hold one plate by its rim with both hands, resting against your thighs.
  2. Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes so your torso stays still.
  3. Lift the plate forward with nearly straight arms until your arms are level with the floor.
  4. Pause, then lower it back to your thighs over two to three seconds.

Cues

  • Torso stays still
  • Arms level, then down
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to start the plate moving: use a lighter plate or stand with your back against a wall.
  • Swinging the plate overhead: stop when your arms are level so your front delts keep the load.

Swap for: Dumbbell Front Raise, Kettlebell Front Raise, Band Front Raise

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Front delts lag in a full gym

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets17 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Incline Bench, Dumbbells, Shoulder Press

You train in a gym and your shoulders look flat from the front even though you bench.

Both days start with a heavy press and add a second press and a raise, 9 sets on day 1 and 8 on day 2. With your bench work, that puts the front delts near 20 hard sets a week, enough to grow them without extra days.

Day 1: Overhead press
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Overhead Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–8 2 3 min
Incline Barbell Bench Press 3 × 6–10 2 2:30 min
Dumbbell Front Raise 2 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1: Overhead press in the session builder

Day 2: Dumbbells and machine
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Shoulder Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 10–12 1 90 s
Plate Front Raise 2 × 12–15 1 1 min

Open Day 2: Dumbbells and machine in the session builder

How to run it
Run Day 1 on your push or shoulder day and Day 2 on an upper day 2 to 3 days later. Leave a day before any heavy bench session.
How to progress
The overhead press moves up 5 lb, or the dumbbells one step, once you get the top of the rep range on all sets at the planned reps in reserve. Front raises go up only when every set reaches 15.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

At home with dumbbells and a chair

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with a pair of dumbbells, a sturdy chair and the floor, with no rack or bench.

Seated Arnold presses and pike push-ups cover loaded and bodyweight pressing, and the front raise finishes it, 9 sets per session. Twice a week is 18 sets, enough for most people training at home.

Arnold, pike, raise
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Arnold Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Pike Push-Up 3 × 6–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Front Raise 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Do it on two non-consecutive days. On the day after, give your shoulders a rest from push-ups.
How to progress
Add reps first. When the Arnold press reaches 12 reps on every set at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, go up one dumbbell size. For pike push-ups, raise your feet on a step once you reach 12.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Pressing straight overhead bothers your shoulder

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentLandmine, Dumbbells, Incline Bench, Barbells

Overhead presses pinch or ache at the top, so you want front delt work that stops short of full overhead.

The landmine press and incline dumbbell press train the front delts in an arc in front of you, and a plate raise to shoulder height finishes the session. 9 sets, twice a week.

Landmine and incline
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Landmine Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Plate Front Raise 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
How to run it
Use it in place of overhead pressing on two upper or push days. Stop each rep where your shoulder still feels solid.
How to progress
Stay at 2 reps in reserve. Add reps until every set reaches the top of the range, then add 5 lb to the landmine or one dumbbell step.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do I build strong front delts?

Get stronger at overhead and incline pressing. Those are the lifts that load the front delts heaviest. Add front raises only after your pressing, for 10 to 15 controlled reps.

Do front delts need direct isolation work?

Most lifters do not need it, because benching and overhead pressing already train them hard. Direct raises are worth adding when the front of the shoulder is visibly behind, or when you do little pressing.

What bench angle hits the front delts most?

The steeper the bench, the more the front delts work and the less the chest does. Around 30 degrees favors the upper chest; at 45 degrees and steeper the front delts take a bigger share.

Is an incline press or a shoulder press better for front delts?

The shoulder press loads the front delts more directly. The incline press still works them heavily and shares the load with the upper chest, so it is a good choice when overhead work bothers your shoulders.