Rear Delt Flye


At a glance
- Equipment
- Pair of light dumbbells
- Suggested reps
- 3 sets of 12–20 reps
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Common mistakes
You squeeze the shoulder blades together and turn the flye into a row, letting the mid-back steal the rep from the rear delts.
You stand up out of the hinge as the set fatigues, changing the angle so the weight swings instead of lifts.
You use momentum from a torso bounce to fling the dumbbells up.
You bend the elbows progressively more, shortening the lever until it becomes a bent-over press.
What to focus on
Keep the shoulder blades apart and think of pushing the dumbbells out wide, not pinching them back.
Go lighter than pride wants; the rear delts are small and respond to clean, controlled arcs.
Pause for a beat at the top and lower on a slow count to keep tension where you want it.
Related strength moves
Sources & further reading
- 1.The reverse-flye / horizontal abduction recruits the posterior deltoid significantly more than rows or lat pulldowns — J. Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness (2015), EMG study