Rear delt: how to do it, muscles worked and variations
Family for rear-shoulder work and scapular control.
- Main muscles
- Deltoid
- Secondary muscles
- Trapezius, Rhomboids
- Equipment
- Pec deck machine, Weight plate, Flat bench, Dumbbell
- Variations
- 4
All 4 variations
Reverse pec deck
Horizontal abduction on a machine for the rear shoulder.
Form. Open your arms keeping your chest supported and your neck relaxed.
Common mistake. Pulling with the upper trapezius before the rear delt.
Seated plate rear delt fly
Rear flies seated on the edge of a bench with the trunk leaning over the legs, using light plates as the load.
Form. Seated at the end of the bench, lean your chest toward your thighs with a long back and the plates under your legs; open your arms with semi-flexed elbows to shoulder height and lower slowly.
Common mistake. Raising the trunk as you lift, shrugging your shoulders, using too much weight, or swinging the plates.
Bent-over dumbbell reverse fly
Standing reverse flies with dumbbells and the trunk bent over, working the rear deltoid and the shoulder-blade retractors.
Form. Hinge your trunk from the hips with a neutral back, let the dumbbells hang with slightly bent elbows and open them to the sides to shoulder height; lower slowly.
Common mistake. Rounding the back, standing up as you lift, turning it into a row by bending the elbows a lot, or using momentum with excessive loads.
Incline dumbbell reverse fly
Rear raise with dumbbells on an incline bench.
Form. Open your arms with soft elbows and scapular control.
Common mistake. Swinging the dumbbells with momentum.
