The rear delt fly, also known as the rear delt raise or the bent-over dumbbell reverse fly, is a weight training exercise that targets your upper back muscles and shoulder muscles, particularly the posterior deltoids, or rear deltoids, on the backside of your shoulders.
Table of Contents
What exercise works the rear deltoids?
Another fantastic exercise for building the rear delts is the Dumbbell Bent-Over Reverse Fly. The bent-over position not only puts the rear delts at a good angle to fight gravity and produce force, it also requires the posterior core/spinal erectors to work, involving more posterior chain musculature.
Do barbell rows work rear delts?
A series of smaller stabilizing muscles are also involved in a barbell row, including the teres major, rear deltoids, and your rotator cuff tendons. Any exercise that utilizes these muscles safely is good; you want them strong to protect your shoulders from injury.
Do deadlifts grow rear delts?
You have three parts of the shoulder that you need to remember: the front, medial, and rear delts. The bench press mostly works the front delts, and while the squat and deadlift might strain the shoulder (and rotator cuff), they’re unlikely to contribute much to progress in that area.
How do I hit my rear deltoid?

Why won’t my rear delts grow?
1 You’re Going Too Heavy There’s a reason your rear delts are underdeveloped and weak โ it’s because you’re using too much weight to get the job done and other muscle groups are actually completing the rep. Since the rear delts aren’t easy to hit, we need to respect that it won’t take much weight to hit them hard.
Is rear delt push or pull?
Rear delts are def a “pull movement” though. So I think it tends to complicate it if you do them on a “push day.” Yes, they are a pull movement but its just easier to do all of the shoulder when you do shoulders.
Do shrugs work rear delts?
Dumbbell shrugs, pulling the weights upward and to the rear activate the rear deltoids and the upper traps. By squeezing your shoulder blades together as well, you can hit the center of your traps.
Will rows build rear delts?
Rowing exercises are excellent rear delt exercises and are instrumental exercise that should be a staple during any workout session. With just about every rowing exercise your rear delts are extremely recruited, along with the rest of your upper-back musculature.
Is bent-over row enough for rear delt?
Absolutely. Both Bent over Rows and Delt Raises are great compound movements which have a higher level of stimulation for the upper back muscles.
Do bent over rows build rear delts?
The bent-over dumbbell rear delt row is a popular upper-body exercise that targets the muscles on the backside of the shoulder joint, specifically the medial and rear heads of the deltoid.
Why are rear delts so important?
Your rear delts help with retracting your shoulder blades, so this will not only improve your pulling exercises like rows etc. but it will also provide a boost to some lying pressing movements such as bench press as they work as a stabilizer. Better balance > more stability > more strength.
How often should you train rear delts?
- The vast majority of rear delt exercises should be performed for 3-4 sets of 15-25 reps to effectively work the muscle.
- Do 1-2 rear delt exercises every upper-body workout.
- You can work your rear delts more than once a day.
Are face pulls enough for rear delts?
Face pulls are an excellent exercise for the rear deltoids, trapezius, and upper back muscles.
Are rear delts fast or slow twitch?
The deltoids likely display meaningful differences in recovery capacity from one another. In terms of fiber type, the posterior deltoid is the most slow twitch, then the anterior deltoid, then the middle deltoid.
How do I add mass to my delts?

Do you need to isolate rear delts?
The rear delts still need rest: Typically, you don’t want to work a muscle on consecutive days to allow for more optimal recovery. So, if you want to hit your rear delts hard, consider separating your back and shoulder workouts by at least 48 hours.
Do shoulders respond better to higher reps?
Delts generally respond better to high reps, though the front portion can respond well to lower reps. This is why delt-dominant bench pressers tend to have large front delts. But when training to get that rounded-shoulders look, higher reps of isolation work is best.
Are delts hard to grow?
Here, I show you how to activate and grow your side delts so you build massive shoulders. The delts, for many, are an extremely stubborn muscle group to develop. That said, because of all the pressing we do, most of us have no problem developing our front delts.
How heavy should shrugs be?
Shoulder shrugs and weights Hand weights of 5 or 8 pounds are still heavy enough to strengthen your trapezius and upper back muscles. As you get into the habit of doing this exercise several times a week, you can increase the weight to 15, 20, 25 pounds or more.
Will shrugs increase neck size?
No, the shrug exercise does not make the neck bigger. The shrugs do hit muscles near your neck like the upper trapezius and the levator scapulae, but the won’t really help thicken and make your neck look more muscular.
Do shoulder shrugs build mass?
The shrug fully activates the upper traps, as well as the shoulders which can build a full and strong physique. With more strength, you’ll also build more muscle mass, which can help develop more power and athletic performance.
How do I target my rear delts with dumbbells?

What is the fastest way to build rear delts?

What’s better than face pulls?
- Reverse Dumbbell Flyes: Just like face pulls, reverse dumbbell flyes are often a staple in programs.
- Reverse Cable Flyes:
- Chest Supported Reverse Flys:
- Reverse Pec Deck:
- Band Pull Apart:
- Cable Machine External Rotations:
- Wide Grip Bent Over Row: