Shoulders · Rear delts · Dumbbell
Rear Delt Fly
The rear delt fly is a bent-over raise of dumbbells out to the sides. It trains the rear delts, the back of the shoulder that pressing leaves out, which helps shoulder balance and makes the shoulders look rounder from the side.
How to
Dumbbell- 1 Hinge forward, dumbbells hanging below the chest.
- 2 Raise the arms out to the sides, elbows soft.
- 3 Lower under control.
Tips
- Lead with the pinkies and move the arms out, not back.
- Keep the torso still; a chest-down incline bench helps.
- Rear delts are small: light weight, slow reps.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing the shoulder blades hard, which turns it into a row for the upper back.
- Heaving the torso up to swing the weight.
- Using dumbbells heavy enough that the range shrinks to a twitch.
Muscles worked
Main
- Rear delts
Also working
- Upper back (rhomboids, middle traps)
Breathing and bracing
Breathe out as the arms rise, breathe in as they lower.
Sets and reps
- Muscle size
- 3–4 sets of 12–20 reps, 1 min rest
- How often
- 2–3 times a week, at the end of pull or shoulder days
Setup
- 1 Hold light dumbbells and hinge forward until the torso is near parallel, or lie chest-down on an incline bench.
- 2 Let the dumbbells hang below the chest, palms facing each other.
- 3 Bend the elbows slightly and keep that bend.
Technique in detail
- Raise the arms out to the sides in a wide arc.
- Lead with the little fingers and move the arms out, not back.
- Stop when the arms are about level with the body.
- Lower slowly.
- Avoid squeezing the shoulder blades hard; let the rear delts do the lifting.
In these plans
- PPL · 3 DAY · Pull
- PPL · 6 DAY · Pull A
- PPL · 6 DAY · Pull B
- BRO SPLIT · 5 DAY · Shoulders
Variations and alternatives
Questions
Why don't I feel my rear delts?
Most people go too heavy and pull with the upper back. Use lighter dumbbells and keep the arms moving wide.
Bent over or chest-supported?
Chest-supported on an incline bench stops the body from swinging and is easier to do strictly.
Is the face pull enough instead?
The face pull trains the rear delts along with the upper back. Doing both, or alternating them, covers the rear delts well.
Log it in Volu(me)
Add Rear Delt Fly to any workout. Next time the app fills in the weight and reps from your last session and marks a new best set the moment you tick it.