A Forgotten Muscle: The Anterior Deltoid, Known as the Man's 'Shark Fin'
If you've taken a boxing or martial arts class, you'll likely experience noticeable muscle soreness on either side of your chest for a day or two afterward.
This is where the anterior deltoid muscle is located.
What are the benefits of training the anterior deltoid?
First, all movements requiring arm extension forward, particularly explosive actions like punches or pushes, heavily involve the anterior deltoid. Therefore, training the anterior deltoid isa way toimprove upper limb explosiveness.
Second, the primary function of the anterior deltoid is to pull the shoulder blades forward. From a health perspective, training the anterior deltoid can:
- increase arm range of motion
- stabilize the shoulder joint, preventing shoulder injuries
- maintain balance of strength on the upper arm sides, maintaining good posture
- correct winged shoulders (shoulder blades significantly protrude and rise)
6 exercises to train the anterior deltoid
1Plank with bent body↓
2Cat-cow pose↓
3Bent-body push-ups↓
4Parallel bar shrugs or static bent-body support↓
5Bent-body crunches↓
6Resistance band shoulder protraction↓
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