Front delts always sore

[Tyler Durden]

As the title states, my front delts are constantly sore. To the point where it is seriously interfering with my chest workout. My training split is the following:

Wed: Legs
Th: Chest
Fri: Back
Sat: Off/cardio
Sun: Delts/Calves
Mon: Arms
Tue: Off/cardio

I typically do 10-12 sets per bodypart at moderate-high intensity.
Delt routine is usually shoulder presses, upright rows, side laterals, and light front laterals

I have wrestled with the idea of doing delts after chest, but they are one of my better body parts and I don't want to cheat them going into a workout already partially exhausted.

Any suggestions?

 

[VTliftVT]

Sounds like you are probably hitting them:

Th - chest
Sun - delts
Mon - arms (poor form on curls bringing elbows forward allowing delts to get involved in the lift)

So you are probalby putting too much frequency and volume on them keeping them constantly taxed....

 

[Fears]

Personally I don't do any front delt work anymore such as military presses. Between all the chest pressing both flat and incline my front delts continue to grow. I had the same issue as you, always sore front delts until I figured out they didn't need anymore direct training.

 

[LATS]

fears is right.. stop the pressing.. if the chest work is making the delts sore, there is no need to keep bombing them.. hit shoulders with various laterals (not to the front) and give the anterior delt time to recup.. also, make sure of elbow positioning when doing chest.. obviously the front delts dont need more work.. let them recup..

 

[Tyler Durden]

Thanks, I'll try this for the next few weeks and see where I am.

 

[chris250]

Agree with LATS here...There are no set rules saying you have to do a delt pressing movement...I probably only do delt presses of any type about once or twice a month anymore...My delts are a strong point so, I focus more on the caps (side delts) and rears...

chris

 

[JETHRO TULL]

The same thing always happened to me. I RARELY EVER DO MILITARIES ANYMORE.

What happens is that pain should be telling you something....and if you don't listen you'll end up like many of my friends who have has shoulder surgery.

I personally do lateral raises on my chest day and rear delts on my back day.

I was looking at your routine and if you are doing anything like close grip presses or dips for triceps [good exercises! lol] the front delt could once again come into play ..compounding the problem.

I think the rule is listen to your body. When I haven't...I've learned painful lessons.

 

[617ricky]

I'd bet the problem is with the upright rows - are you doing them with a straight bar? I had this problem a few months back, and I noticed it when I'd bench press, days after my shoulder exercise.. I was using DB's to press, and when I put them on the floor, I'd feel this tight pinching sensation that wasn't happening before.. I came to the conclusion after researching, that for some people, upright rows are no good (alot worse with a straight bar), and the pain that people experience has to do with irritation and eventual damage of the rotator cuff.

 

[Moen]

I had the same but with posterior delts as well, I'd ditch both. If you think ahead, the extra wear and tear on such a vulnerable joint might just not be worth the small benefits of direct training. Add to that that it is my personal experience as well as that of others that actually training front and rear delts might lead to less growth due to overuse/overtraining.

 

[powerrack]

You may want to try fitting this type of split into your schedule, if possible, if your having the front delt issue:

day 1: chest/front delts (hit the front delt with a couple sets if needed, or just do a couple very steep sets of incline press to finish off your chest, it will involved front delt too)

day 2: back/rear delts

day 3: side delts/arms

day 4: legs

Put in rest days where you can fit them in, maybe 2 days on 1 day off. Just a suggestion, I did this for a while, when I thought I was overdoing front delts, I eliminated anytype of front delt direct movements or military press on it, I just did my chest workout as is, the last movement for that day was 60degree incline flyes, so you get plenty of front delt there too.