Are Front Delt Raises Necessary If I Bench Press

You're wondering if front delt raises are necessary if you bench press because you want an efficient workout. You don't want to waste time on exercises you don't need. Let's clear this up right now.

Key Takeaways

• For 90% of lifters, front delt raises are unnecessary if you already bench press and overhead press.
• Your front delts are heavily activated during all pressing movements, receiving most of the stimulus they need to grow.
• Focusing on lateral raises and rear delt work is the key to building balanced, 3D-looking shoulders.
• Overtraining the front delts with extra isolation work can lead to poor posture and shoulder impingement.
• Only add front raises if you are an advanced bodybuilder with a diagnosed front delt weakness, which is extremely rare.
• A good strength standard is to be able to overhead press 75% of your bodyweight before even considering front delt isolation.

Why Bench Press Already Hits Your Front Delts

To answer the question, 'are front delt raises necessary if I bench press?', you have to understand what the bench press actually does. For 90% of people, the answer is a clear no. Front delt raises are not only unnecessary, but they can also be counterproductive. Your front deltoids get more than enough work from your pressing exercises alone.

The anterior deltoid, or front delt, is one of the primary muscles used in any horizontal pressing motion. This includes the flat barbell bench press, incline dumbbell press, and even push-ups. Every time you push a weight away from your chest, your front delts are firing hard to make that happen.

Think of it like this: asking if you need to do front raises after benching is like asking if you need to do extra bicep curls after a heavy day of pull-ups. The primary work is already done within the compound movement.

Your pressing movements can be broken down into two categories, both of which hammer your front delts:

1. Horizontal Pressing: This is your bench press, dumbbell press, and push-ups. The front delt works with the pecs and triceps to push the weight. An incline press hits the front delt even harder than a flat press, making front raises even more redundant if you do them.
2. Vertical Pressing: This is your overhead press (OHP), Arnold press, or landmine press. The OHP is arguably the single best shoulder-building exercise, and the front delt is a major mover. If you're doing OHP correctly, you're already giving your front delts a powerful growth stimulus.

For an average 180-pound man benching 135-185 pounds, the force on the front delts is significant. You don't need to add 15-pound dumbbell front raises on top of that. The return on investment is practically zero, and the risk of overuse injury is high.

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The Risk of Overtraining Your Front Delts

Adding front raises to a routine already filled with pressing is a classic case of adding 'junk volume.' It's work for the sake of work, with no real benefit and a significant downside. The biggest risk is creating a muscular imbalance that ruins your posture and leads to pain.

Most people already live a 'front-dominant' life. We sit at desks, drive cars, and stare at our phones, all of which cause our shoulders to round forward. In the gym, the most popular exercises are 'mirror muscles' like chest and front delts. This combination creates a powerful pull on your shoulder joint, tugging it forward and out of alignment.

This leads to what's known as 'upper crossed syndrome,' characterized by rounded shoulders and a forward head posture. It doesn't just look bad; it's a direct path to shoulder impingement. Impingement happens when the tendons of your rotator cuff get pinched in the shoulder joint, causing sharp pain when you lift your arm.

Adding direct front delt work on top of this existing imbalance is like pouring gasoline on a fire. You are actively training your body to have worse posture. Instead of building impressive shoulders, you're building a foundation for chronic pain that could stop you from bench pressing altogether.

Your recovery resources are finite. Every set of unnecessary front raises is a set you could have dedicated to exercises that actually fix this problem, like face pulls or lateral raises. By skipping front raises, you free up time and energy for the movements that will give you the balanced, healthy, and aesthetic shoulders you want.

How to Build Balanced Shoulders Without Front Raises

So, if you're not doing front raises, what should you be doing? The secret to impressive, 'capped' shoulders isn't a massive front delt. It's well-developed medial (side) and posterior (rear) delts. These are the muscles that give you width and a 3D, rounded look. They are also the muscles that pull your shoulders back, improving your posture.

Here is a simple, three-step plan to build great shoulders without a single front raise.

Step 1: Prioritize the Overhead Press (OHP)

The standing barbell or dumbbell overhead press should be a cornerstone of your training. It's a full-body compound lift that builds raw strength and size in your shoulders and triceps. It hits the front and side delts hard, providing all the pressing stimulus you need.

Aim for 3-4 sets in the 5-8 rep range with a challenging weight. Focus on progressive overload, adding a small amount of weight (like 2.5-5 pounds) or an extra rep each week. This is your primary shoulder-building movement.

Step 2: Master the Lateral Raise

This is the single most important exercise for shoulder width. No other movement targets the medial delt as effectively. The mistake most people make is going too heavy and using momentum. This takes the tension off the side delt and turns it into a trap exercise.

Use light dumbbells, typically between 10 and 25 pounds for men, and 5 to 15 pounds for women. Stand with a slight bend in your knees and elbows. Raise the weights out to your sides, thinking about pushing them out, not lifting them up. Stop when your arms are parallel to the floor. Control the negative on the way down.

Perform 3-4 sets in the 12-15 rep range. The burn will be intense. This is where the growth happens.

Step 3: Don't Forget Your Rear Delts

Your rear delts are critical for shoulder health, posture, and completing the 3D look. They are often neglected. The two best exercises to target them are face pulls and reverse pec-deck flyes.

For face pulls, use a rope attachment on a cable machine set at chest height. Pull the ropes towards your face, aiming to get your hands on either side of your head. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of each rep. For reverse flyes, focus on squeezing the shoulder blades without arching your back.

These muscles respond best to high reps and constant tension. Aim for 3-4 sets in the 15-20 rep range. Make this the last exercise of your shoulder workout.

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When Are Front Delt Raises Actually Necessary?

After everything we've covered, you might wonder if there's ever a time to do front raises. The answer is yes, but only in very specific and rare circumstances that do not apply to 99% of the people reading this.

This advice is for you if:

• You are an advanced competitive bodybuilder, and a qualified coach has identified your anterior deltoids as a specific weak point that is hurting your symmetry on stage. This is after years of dedicated training.
• You are working with a physical therapist to rehabilitate a shoulder injury and have been prescribed very light, controlled front raises as part of a recovery protocol.

For everyone else, from the beginner trying to build a foundation to the intermediate lifter trying to break a plateau, your time is better spent elsewhere. Your front delts are already getting a ton of work.

Here’s a simple test: Can you strictly overhead press 75% of your bodyweight for 5 reps? For a 200-pound man, that's a 150-pound OHP. For a 140-pound woman, that's a 105-pound OHP. If the answer is no, you have absolutely no business worrying about front delt isolation. Your priority is to get stronger on the big, compound presses.

Focusing on a tiny isolation exercise before you've built a foundation of strength is like a student driver worrying about advanced racing techniques. Master the fundamentals first. Getting your bench press and overhead press stronger will do more for your front delt development than countless sets of sloppy front raises ever will.

Frequently Asked Questions

What about incline bench press for front delts?

An incline bench press places even more emphasis on the front delts than a flat bench press. If your routine includes incline pressing with either a barbell or dumbbells, you have even less reason to add front raises. You are already giving them a powerful, direct growth stimulus.

Will my shoulders look smaller if I stop doing front raises?

No, they will almost certainly look bigger and better. The 'impressive' shoulder look comes from width and roundness, which are built by the side and rear delts. By reallocating your time and energy from front raises to lateral raises and face pulls, you build a more balanced, 3D shoulder.

How many times a week should I train shoulders?

For most people, training shoulders directly 1-2 times per week is plenty, especially since they get indirect work on chest day. A great split is one heavy pressing day (focused on OHP) and a second day dedicated to higher-rep volume for side and rear delts (lateral raises, face pulls).

Can I do front raises with dumbbells or a cable?

If you fall into the 1% of people who actually need them, cables are a superior choice as they provide constant tension throughout the range of motion. However, the core advice remains the same: your training time is almost always better spent on compound presses and developing your side and rear delts.

Conclusion

Stop wasting your time and energy on front delt raises. Your bench press, overhead press, and other pressing variations are already providing more than enough stimulus for growth.

Shift your focus. Prioritize getting stronger on your compound presses and dedicate your isolation work to building the side and rear delts that create a truly impressive, balanced, and healthy pair of shoulders. Swap your front raises for lateral raises this week and watch what happens.