Exercises on the anterior deltoid muscle of the shoulder are widespread among both men and women. This relatively small muscle group is involved in many athletic movements. Without execution front delta exercises it is impossible to achieve significant results in the bench press.
The anterior bundle of shoulder muscles forms a rounded silhouette of this part of the body and fixes the joint in the anatomically correct position, reducing the risk of injury. Therefore, in their training, girls should pay close attention to this muscle group.
Essence and basic principles
Exercises for the front shoulder delta for girls in the gym are of a wide variety. You can train this muscle group using free weights (these include barbells and dumbbells), exercise equipment (block machines for overhead presses and Hammer-type structures) and your own body weight.
Each method has its own unique features and core principles. To train the front deltas, the type of sports equipment described below is used.
With free weights
Barbell
The main exercise in this case is the overhead press. The athletic movement can be performed from a sitting or standing position. When choosing the first option, the practitioner has the opportunity to work with greater weights.
Due to the connection of inertia forces when lifting the sports equipment up, the breakdown of the bar from the bottom point becomes easier. However, at the same time, axial and bending loads on the spinal column increase. The overhead bench press is used by experienced athletes whose goal is to increase the mass and volume of the shoulders.
For girls who are just starting to work out in the gym, the 2nd version of the press with a barbell overhead is suitable. When performing this movement from a sitting position, the magnitude of the burden decreases. However, the risk of injury due to excessive stress on the spine is also reduced.
To completely minimize it, you should properly set up the bench for the press. The back of sports equipment should be tilted. It is not allowed to use a bench with a vertically oriented back. The back support should be at an angle of 10-15 degrees from the absolute vertical.
This is necessary to maintain the correct trajectory of the sports equipment.
Technique for performing a barbell press on the front deltas:
| Stages | Description |
| 1 | Taking the starting position. Before starting the movement, it is necessary to remove the bar from the racks or lift it from the floor. In this case, the girl is required to keep her back straight. It is not allowed to round the loin. Then, depending on the chosen execution method, you should sit on a bench or stand on a non-slip stable floor surface. |
| 2 | The position of the bar and arms. At the lowest point of the trajectory, the sports equipment is located at the level of the collarbone. The hands on the bar are shoulder-width apart. The elbows are slightly forward and located under the bar. Do not lead them back over the body line. This is a mistake.In this position, the shoulder joint takes on an unnatural position. |
| 3 | Barbell bench press. Lifting the bar up should be done smoothly. Jerks and jerks are not allowed. The trajectory of the projectile is a gentle arc. It starts from the top of the chest and ends above the head of the student. To maintain balance, slight deviation of the body from the vertical is allowed. At the top, the elbows are not fully extended. |
| 4 | Lowering the bar down. The movement to the bottom point is carried out on inspiration. A sudden lowering of the sports equipment should not be allowed. This leads to increased stress on the elbow joints. |
Dumbbells
Two types of athletic movements are widespread: the overhead press and the swing. The overhead press with dumbbells is in many ways identical to a similar exercise with a barbell. However, there are several key features related to the work of stabilizer muscles and the trajectory of the sports equipment.
When performing a press with dumbbells, the hands of the girl involved move independently of each other. That is, there is no fingerboard that fixes the position of the brushes in one plane. For this reason, the trajectory of movement of the dumbbells also changes. When going up, they describe a light arc and are brought together at the top point of the amplitude.
In order to avoid increased injuries and provide the shoulder muscles with the opportunity to make maximum contractions when lifting and lowering dumbbells, physiotherapists and experienced athletes have developed a safe technique for performing a dumbbell press on the front deltas.
Technique for performing a press with dumbbells overhead:
| Stage | Description |
| 1 | The exercise can be performed from a standing or sitting position. But since when performing this athletic movement it is impossible to use the maximum weight of the weights (due to the peculiarities of training with dumbbells), the second option is most widespread. To start a sports activity, it is necessary to adjust the bench so that the angle of inclination of its back is 10-15 degrees from the vertical line. |
| 2 | The selection of the working weight is carried out empirically. You should choose dumbbells of such a mass, with which a girl can perform 12-15 repetitions without violating the correct movement technique. |
| 3 | The starting position differs from the position occupied by the girl when performing the press with the barbell. The athlete's arms are bent at the elbows and raised so that the axis of the dumbbell bar is level with the ears. In this case, the hands are clenched into a fist, and the palms are directed forward. The thumbs are slightly down, and the little fingers are raised (the hand does not open and holds the dumbbells firmly). |
| 4 | The upward movement is carried out on exhalation. The ascent is carried out smoothly without jerking. The dumbbells form an arc and connect at the highest point above the head. |
| 5 | The lowering of the sports equipment is carried out while inhaling. The movement continues until the starting position is reached. Then, without pause, it is worth starting the next repetition. |
Exercises for the anterior shoulder delta are difficult to imagine without swinging movements. Swinging in front of you is one of the most popular exercises for this muscle group using dumbbells. This athletic movement is performed from a standing position. Mahi represent an alternate raising of hands in front of you.
In this case, the brushes can occupy two main positions:
- Pronation (palms facing down and thumbs facing each other).
- Supination or partial supination (the hands are parallel to each other, and the thumbs are "looking" up).
This exercise is based on the performance of the front delta of its main functions. Namely, moving the upper limbs of a person to a position above the head. In this case, the front bundle of shoulder muscles is intensively included in the work when the arm is raised in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the body (in front of you).
Breeding through the sides, or with abduction to the side, relieves some of the load from the target muscle group and involves other parts of the deltoid muscles in the training process.
At the same time, the position of the hands during training does not have any special effect on the anterior bundle of deltoids. However, it affects the muscles of the upper chest in different ways, which are also involved in the training process.
The swinging technique consists of the following main stages:
- Dumbbell selection. The choice of weights is carried out at the rate of 12-15 repetitions in one approach. Girls shouldn't use heavy weights for two reasons. First, swinging dumbbells in front of you is an isolating exercise. It is effective when working on the shape of the deltoid muscles and is not able to help in increasing the volume. Secondly, the dumbbell swing is a tempo athletic movement. Lifting the dumbbell up should be carried out with a sharp, but controlled movement.
- Taking the starting position. This exercise is performed from a standing position. To perform it safely, you must choose a flat, stable surface.
- Trajectory of movement. When performing swings in front of herself, the student must observe the optimal trajectory of movement. The alternate lifting of the dumbbells is carried out to a virtual line parallel to the floor. At full amplitude of 180 degrees, the effect of the exercise is reduced. When crossing the horizontal line, the load on the deltoid muscle decreases, and the weights are lifted due to inertial forces. In addition, it is not safe for beginners to swing with additional weight overhead.
Exercises on the anterior shoulder delta must be performed in compliance with the norms for proper breathing. The inhalation is always done while relaxing. In other words, it is necessary to inhale when lowering the sports equipment to its original position.
The exhalation is carried out during a period of tension. That is, you should exhale at the stage of muscle tension. This will help you develop more muscle effort and tighten your core.
Weights
For girls, training the front deltas can be performed using weights.
The most common are the following basic athletic movements with this type of sports equipment:
- Mahi with a kettlebell. To perform the exercise, you must choose a projectile of a suitable mass. Recommendations for the selection of weights are identical to those for working with dumbbells. Stand up straight, and then bend your knees slightly, and take your pelvis back. The kettlebell should be held with both hands and placed between the legs under its own center of gravity. The upward movement is carried out along a trajectory similar to the trajectory when performing swings from dumbbells. In this case, it is important to straighten the body simultaneously with the lifting of the sports equipment.
- Jerk or overhead press. The exercise is identical to the dumbbell press and can be performed from a sitting or standing position.
Exercises with kettlebells differ from sports activities with equipment, which was described above. The key feature of this type of training is the combination of 2 main types of physical activity: anaerobic and aerobic.
Kettlebell swings include a large number of stabilizer muscles:
- press,
- lower back,
- buttocks.
This allows you to comprehensively affect the muscles of the whole body during one sports training.
Using simulators
Deltoid muscle training using specialized equipment is practically no different from exercising with free weights. They also contribute to the development of the anterior deltas. However, this type of training has several advantages. The main one is the lower requirements for physical fitness and skills of the student.
With your own body weight
The most common among girls involved in sports at home... An effective exercise for the development of the front deltas, without the use of additional weights, are push-ups with a raised pelvis.
The girl's body should be inclined to the floor surface at an angle greater than 45 degrees. In this case, the main load is shifted from the chest muscles to the shoulders.
Indications for the beginning of use
Exercises on the anterior shoulder delta are shown for girls and women who are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle. Developed shoulder muscles will help maintain correct posture.
Exercising regularly will help you lose weight and strengthen the muscles that support your spine in anatomically correct position. The latter include the deltoid muscles.
Sports exercises for the anterior bundle of the shoulder muscles help to eliminate the imbalance in muscle development in girls. Traditionally, women place great emphasis on the lower body in their workouts. As a result, the proportions of the figure are violated. Pressing dumbbells or overhead barbells can help eliminate this problem in no time.
Contraindications for use
Exercises on the front bundle of shoulder muscles have a number of contraindications, which generally limit the girl's physical activity:
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Severe untreated back injury.
- Other diseases in which heavy lifting is contraindicated.
- Degenerative disorders of bone and cartilage tissue structures.
Helpful hints
- Before starting classes in the gym, you should take care of purchasing comfortable and safe equipment. Outerwear should be comfortable and not cause discomfort. Shoes with flat, stable soles, which securely fix the foot, are allowed.
- When visiting the gym or exercising at home, prepare a small, personalized towel. They should wipe down the sports equipment they use.
- Sports gloves can be used to prevent abrasion of the skin on the palms of the hands. During training, girls need to drink up to 1 liter of water. Its supply should be taken care of before training.
Main complex
The front bundle of the shoulder deltas is used for most upper body exercises. With pull-ups on the back and controlled slow descents down, he intensively stretches.
With the bench press, depending on the angle of elbow abduction from the body, the main load may fall on the front deltas. Therefore, when training this part of the body, it is important to correctly dose the load.
To do this, it is necessary to choose suitable exercises that are able to simultaneously engage the deltas in the training process, develop the necessary effort in them and not overload them. One of the methods for realizing this condition is the division of the training program.
For beginner girls, a two-day split is suitable. This means that all the muscles of the body are conditionally divided into upper and lower ones. In this case, delta exercises are performed in conjunction with the muscles of the chest and arms. For a two-day split, do one shoulder exercise. The best option would be the overhead press.
For girls exercising with weights for more than 3-4 months, a three-day training program is suitable... In this case, large muscle groups train on a dedicated day. The deltoid muscles can be joined on the same day as the chest or legs.
| Exercises | Number of repetitions | Features: |
| Swing in front of you | 3 sets of 12-15 reps | The exercise should be performed after all movements to a large muscle group, but before training the arms or other deltas. |
| Dumbbell press | 3 * 10-12 repetitions | It is performed after swing movements or instead of them. |
The greatest complex effect on reducing body weight and shaping the shoulder muscles will be achieved when training the front deltas together with the legs. In this case, it is advisable to perform kettlebell swings. The exercise should be done after working on all large muscle groups. The number of repetitions and approaches can vary depending on the physical condition of the student.
Fixing the result
To consolidate the result, after training the anterior bundles of the deltoid muscles of the shoulder, stretching should be performed. Light static tension in the target muscle group speeds up the recovery process and reduces pain after exercise.
To stretch the deltas, the abduction of the arm bent and raised to the horizontal is used. The hand is retracted by the opposite shoulder, as if grasping the neck, and is fixed in this position for 5-7 seconds.
When to expect the effect
Dynamic strength training of the deltoid muscles can give results within 4-6 weeks. The visual effect of sports activities may appear earlier. However, do not forget that in the absence of loads, the front deltas also quickly lose shape and volume.
Exercising the anterior deltoid muscles is a mandatory part of the training process for girls. Without this athletic movement, it is difficult to build a beautiful and harmoniously developed figure.
Also, the shoulder muscles are responsible for maintaining the balance between the front and back pastoral parts of the body. The health of the spine and beautiful posture depend on this.
Video exercises for the front delta for girls
Exercise for the front delta on the lower block: