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Rear Delt Fly: Why this Simple Exercise is Seriously Underrated

rear delt exercises

Rear Delt Fly

Most people need more rear deltoid and upper back work. Rear delt work is especially important if you hunch over a desk all day or perform a lot of chest exercises like the bench press. The rear delt fly is the perfect tool for you.

Rear Delt Fly Muscles Worked

This exercise works the rear deltoids, upper and lower traps, rhomboids, infraspinatus, and the teres minor and major muscles.

These muscles are crucial for optimal shoulder movement and function. In addition, developing your upper back and rear shoulders might help with your posture and muscular balance, especially if you do a lot of chest exercises.

In fact, if you really want to build injury-proof shoulders, you might want to aim for a ratio of 3 pulling exercises for every 1 push exercise. 

Are Rear Delt Flies Good?

Rear delt flies are an excellent exercise and they help you to improve muscular balance and promote proper rear shoulder and upper back development. Along with other rear delt and back exercises, this movement can help you create muscular balance and promote better posture and shoulder health.

Rear Delt Fly Benefits

This exercise can really help you.

  • Better Posture: Training your upper back and shoulders can improve posture.
  • Better Stability During Pressing Exercises: Strengthening the upper back and rear shoulders can also make you stronger and more stable during pressing exercises. It can also help you build a “shelf” to stabilize your shoulders and rotator cuff muscles during horizontal pressing motions.
  • Better Physique: Better developed rear delts can improve your physique.
  • Reduced Risk of Shoulder Injury: Many shoulder injuries are caused by an imbalance between agonist and antagonist muscle groups. More rear delt exercises can help improve shoulder health and resilience.

How do you Do a Rear Delt Fly?

  1. Start with feet at hip width, light weights in each hand.
  2. Hinge at your hips.
  3. Let arms hand below shoulders, with a neutral grip.
  4. Pull your arms back till your hands are level with your shoulders.
  5. Pause one count at the top.
  6. Slowly lower your hands to the start position.
  7. Repeat for 10 to 20 reps.

How Many Sets and Reps Should you Do?

You should try two to four sets of ten to twenty reps per set.

What are some Common Mistakes During the Rear Delt Fly?

Here are some common mistakes people make on this exercise.

  • Using weights that are too heavy
  • Bringing your arms behind your body
  • Locking your elbows straight
  • Bending your arms too much
  • Arching or rounding your back
  • Neglecting this exercise

How to Incorporate the Rear Delt Fly into your Routine

You should perform this exercise near the end of an upper body or full body workout. Here is a sample routine that includes this exercise.

  • Bench Press 4 x 6 reps
  • Bent Over Dumbbell Row 4 x 8 reps
  • Barbell Overhead Press 3 x 8 reps
  • Neutral Grip Pull up 3 x 8 reps
  • Rear Delt Fly 3 x 15 reps

What are the best other rear delt exercises?

Here are some other rear delt exercises.

  • Rear Delt Fly
  • Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
  • Cable Rear Delt Fly
  • Band Rear Delt Fly
  • Machine Rear Deltoid Fly
  • Face Pulls
  • Snatch Grip Deadlifts and RDLs
  • Deadlifts and RDLs
  • Band Pull Aparts
  • Dumbbell Rows
  • Cable Rows
  • Barbell Rows
  • Inverted Rows
  • Renegade Rows
  • Ring Rows
  • Wide Grip Rows
  • Blackburn (YTAW)
  • Snow Angels
  • High Pulley Cross Body Straight Arm Pull Down
  • TRX Rear Delt Fly
  • TRX Face Pull
  • TRX Face Pull with External Rotation

rear delt

What are Some Other Rear Delt Fly Variations?

There are many other ways you can perform this exercise to reap the benefits. These other methods are listed below.

Cable Rear Delt Fly

You can perform the rear delt cable fly exercise the same as the rear delt fly with dumbbells. The difference is that cables are affixed to the bottom of a cable pulley machine, and you will start by pulling each cable into the opposite hand. Start by pulling hands underneath each shoulder (achieving a crossed position of the pulleys). Then you will set a hip width stance, hinge from your hips, and perform the rear delt fly, pulling cables up shoulder height. Then pause at the top and return hands underneath shoulders.

  • Position your feet at hip width in center of a cable pulley system
  • Put two cables at the bottom of the system
  • Place cable to right of you in left hand, and vice versa
  • Holding cables, hinge at hips
  • Start with hands underneath shoulders with palms facing each other
  • Pull hands level with shoulders
  • Pause one count
  • Return hands under shoulders
  • Repeat for 10-20 reps

You can also do this exercise in an upright position, with the cable handles at shoulder height.

Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly

The chest supported rear delt fly allows you to rest your body on a bench. This exercise might work for yo if you have back pain when you use a bent over position.

  • Position yourself face down on a bench, with legs straight and feet straddling the bench
  • Hold onto light weights with palms facing each other
  • With hands positioned in line with shoulders, lift arms up in line with shoulders
  • Pause at the top, where hands are level with shoulders
  • Lower hands under shoulders
  • Repeat for 10-20 reps

Band Rear Delt Fly

The band rear delt fly is an excellent alternative to the dumbbell version. The use of a resistance band instead of dumbbells means the exercise is hardest at the top.

  • Stand with center of your feet over resistance band
  • Hold opposite handles in each hand
  • Hinge at your hips
  • Let hands hang down under your shoulders
  • Lift hands and arms level with your shoulders
  • Pause and squeeze at the top
  • Return hands underneath your shoulders
  • Repeat for 10-20 reps per set

Rear Delt Fly versus a Lateral Raise

What is the difference between a rear delt fly and a lateral raise?

In a rear delt fly, you are using your rear or posterior deltoids primarily to complete the exercise. In contrast, a lateral raise primarily trains the lateral head of the shoulders.

While at first glance these appear to be similar shoulder exercises, in reality they have a completely different muscular emphasis. The rear delt fly trains your upper back and posterior deltoids, while the lateral raise primarily trains your lateral deltoids.

Rear Delt Fly Alternatives

Here are some alternatives to the rear delt fly. These exercises are shown in the videos below.

Band Pull Apart

  • Hold a resistance band at shoulder width and shoulder height
  • Keeping arms straight, pull arms back until band touches your chest
  • Pause one count
  • Return to the starting position

Bent Over High Row

This exercise lets you target the upper back and posterior shoulders.

  • Stand with a hip width stance
  • Hold moderately heavy dumbbells with a pronated grip
  • Hinge your hips
  • Position hands under your shoulders
  • Bend arms and pull elbows level with your shoulders
  • Pause and squeeze your upper back
  • Return to a straight arm position
  • Repeat for 6-15 reps per set

Should you Train Rear Delts with Back or Shoulder Exercises?

In reality, you can train rear delts with back or shoulder exercises.

You can try rear delt flies to warm up your shoulders before other shoulder exercises.

In contrast, you can also train rear delts at the end of your workout. Try two to four sets of 12 to 20 reps at the end of a workout.

You can train your exercise two to three times per week.

Conclusions

The rear delt fly is an amazing exercise to build strong and healthy shoulders. I hope you include this exercise into your weight training program.