Rear Delt Fly
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1To begin, lie down on an incline bench with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline. Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing each other (neutral grip).
- 2Extend the arms in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the angle of the bench. The legs should be stationary while applying pressure with the ball of your toes. This is the starting position.
- 3Maintaining the slight bend of the elbows, move the weights out and away from each other (to the side) in an arc motion while exhaling. Tip: Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together to get the best results from this exercise.
- 4The arms should be elevated until they are parallel to the floor.
- 5Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- 6Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
About Rear Delt Fly
The dumbbell rear delt fly, torso bent forward and back flat, isolates the rear head of the deltoid. The arms spread out to the sides like wings, elbows slightly bent, also working the upper back and rhomboids. This exercise corrects the imbalances created by too much pressing and improves posture — the rear of the shoulder is almost always behind in people who do a lot of chest work. Aim to spread with the elbows rather than the hands, without shrugging or standing up. A light load and a clear contraction beat heavy weight poorly executed.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleIsolates the rear delt, an often-neglected head
- check_circleImproves posture and front-to-back shoulder balance
- check_circleAlso engages the mid-back and traps
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbHinge forward to near horizontal with a flat back
- lightbulbSweep the arms out to the sides, elbows slightly bent
- lightbulbRaise to shoulder height, no higher
- lightbulbControl the descent without dropping the dumbbells
warningCommon mistakes
- warningRounding the back and compromising the spine
- warningUsing momentum by rising up on every rep
- warningOver-squeezing the blades and shifting load to the lats
- warningGoing too heavy and bending the elbows like a row
helpFrequently asked questions
How can I feel the rear delt more?expand_more
Use a light load, keep the elbows slightly bent, and think about opening the arms rather than squeezing the shoulder blades.
Bent over or lying on a bench?expand_more
Bent over demands lower-back bracing. Lying face-down on an incline bench removes cheating and isolates the rear delt better.
Free rear delt fly or the reverse pec deck machine?expand_more
The machine (reverse pec deck) removes the need to brace the back and keeps constant tension: easier to feel well. The dumbbell fly is more accessible without a machine and trains stabilisation more. Both target the same muscle.
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